{{newsitem|Lion Air crashes in sea off [[Jakarta]]| Oct 29|A Lion Air Boeing 737 passenger plane with 189 people on board has crashed into the sea shortly after taking off from the Indonesian capital, Jakarta. Flight JT 610 was headed for Pangkal Pinang, in the Bangka Belitung Islands, when it lost contact. Rescuers have recovered some remains and there is no sign of survivors. The cause of the crash, involving a new plane in operation since August, remains unclear. Lion Air is Indonesia's largest low-cost carrier. [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-46014463]}}

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{{newsitem|Severe thunderstorm covers [[Rome]]| Oct 23|A wave of extreme weather bringing hail, floods and strong winds has brought parts of [[Italy]] to a standstill. After a long spell of hot weather, Rome suffered damage from a major hailstorm and torrential rains overnight. Firefighters were called out nationwide, from [[Milan]] in the north to [[Sicily]] in the south. Local authorities issued an orange alert - one below the highest - for the region of [[Calabria]], where cities and towns ordered schools to stay closed. Parts of Molise, Basilicata and Puglia are also on orange alert - while a lesser, yellow warning was issued for Abruzzo, Calabria, Sicily and Lazio. [https://www.theguardian.com/environment/video/2018/oct/22/severe-thunderstorm-covers-rome-in-hail-and-floods-video]}}

{{newsitem|Severe thunderstorm covers [[Rome]]| Oct 23|A wave of extreme weather bringing hail, floods and strong winds has brought parts of [[Italy]] to a standstill. After a long spell of hot weather, Rome suffered damage from a major hailstorm and torrential rains overnight. Firefighters were called out nationwide, from [[Milan]] in the north to [[Sicily]] in the south. Local authorities issued an orange alert - one below the highest - for the region of [[Calabria]], where cities and towns ordered schools to stay closed. Parts of Molise, Basilicata and Puglia are also on orange alert - while a lesser, yellow warning was issued for Abruzzo, Calabria, Sicily and Lazio. [https://www.theguardian.com/environment/video/2018/oct/22/severe-thunderstorm-covers-rome-in-hail-and-floods-video]}}

Revision as of 10:22, 29 October 2018

This is Wikitravel's Travel news section, about issues affecting travellers, both positively and negatively. For more general news, see Wikinews.

2018

October

A Lion Air Boeing 737 passenger plane with 189 people on board has crashed into the sea shortly after taking off from the Indonesian capital, Jakarta. Flight JT 610 was headed for Pangkal Pinang, in the Bangka Belitung Islands, when it lost contact. Rescuers have recovered some remains and there is no sign of survivors. The cause of the crash, involving a new plane in operation since August, remains unclear. Lion Air is Indonesia's largest low-cost carrier. [1]

A wave of extreme weather bringing hail, floods and strong winds has brought parts of Italy to a standstill. After a long spell of hot weather, Rome suffered damage from a major hailstorm and torrential rains overnight. Firefighters were called out nationwide, from Milan in the north to Sicily in the south. Local authorities issued an orange alert - one below the highest - for the region of Calabria, where cities and towns ordered schools to stay closed. Parts of Molise, Basilicata and Puglia are also on orange alert - while a lesser, yellow warning was issued for Abruzzo, Calabria, Sicily and Lazio. [2]

Chinese President Xi Jinping has officially opened the world's longest sea crossing bridge, nine years after construction first began. Including its access roads, the bridge spans 55km (34 miles) and connects Hong Kong to Macau and the mainland Chinese city of Zhuhai. The area is currently home to 68 million people. [3]

Mexico has issued an alert for parts of its Pacific seaboard as it prepares for the "life-threatening" Hurricane Willa. Willa is expected to make landfall on Mexico's south-western coast on Tuesday and is "potentially catastrophic", the National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned. Currently a Category Four - out of five - storm, it threatens to bring torrential rains and major flooding. Earlier this month areas of the US were devastated by Hurricane Michael, which left at least 27 people dead. Willa is expected to deliver rainfall of up to 46cm (18in) along parts of south-west Mexico, the NHC said on Monday, as it reported that the storm was carrying winds of 250km/h (155mph). [4]

An earthquake of magnitude 5.9 struck Taiwan, the United States Geological Survey said, and witnesses said it set buildings shaking in the capital Taipei. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties from the quake, which hit 95 km (59 miles) southeast of the coastal town of Su-ao at a depth of 26 km (16 miles). Su-ao is about 70 km (44 miles) away from the capital. [5]

At least 12 people have died, including a nun, after the equivalent of up to seven months' rain fell in just a few hours in south-western France. In what the local weather agency said was some of the worst flash floods the Aude river has seen in more than a century, the heavy rainfall brought raging torrents that engulfed homes and swept away cars. Residents in the region have been told to remain indoors and more than 700 firemen and several helicopters have been sent to bolster the rescue effort. Authorities said many people were stranded on rooftops and would have to be evacuated by air because it was too dangerous by boat. Several deaths were in the town of Trebes, which sits between a canal and two rivers, including the Aude. [6]

A magnitude 6.8 earthquake was recorded east of New Caledonia in the South Pacific, the U.S. Geological Survey said, about half an hour after an earlier 6.5 quake in the same area. The second quake was registered 163 km (100 miles) east of Tadine in the Loyalty Islands at a depth of about 10 km (6 miles), the USGS said. There were no tsunami alerts from the Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center after either quake and there were no early reports of casualties or damage. [7]

Landslides and flash flooding following heavy rainfall on the Indonesian island of Sumatra have left at least 21 people dead, officials say. Eleven of the dead were children buried when mud and water engulfed their classroom in the village of Muara Saladi in North Sumatra province. Another 10 people are missing at the site. More than 500 homes in the provinces of North and West Sumatra have been damaged. The deadliest incident was at the Islamic village school in Muara Saladi in Mandailing Natal district, which borders West Sumatra province. [8]

A landslide following heavy rains in eastern Uganda has killed more than 40 people. It is feared that the death toll could rise as a government rescue team reaches the Mount Elgon area. A river burst its banks and a torrent of mud and water swept villages away. Pictures from the scene show people retrieving bodies from the mud and carrying them away. [9]

Istanbul’s new airport will not open fully until the end of this year, a newspaper cited the general manager as saying, two months later than an official opening scheduled for the end of this month.The airport is a centerpiece of a 15-year construction boom under President Tayyip Erdogan. It has an initial planned capacity of 90 million passengers a year, making it one of the world’s biggest. [10]

Magnitude 6.7 quake strikes Russia's Kurile islands

Magnitude 6.7 quake strikes Russia's Kurile islands

Oct 13

A magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck an area 282 km (175 miles) northwest of the Kurile islands off Russia in the northwest Pacific, the U.S. Geological Survey said. There was no immediate tsunami warning or any reports of any damage or casualties resulting from the quake, which the USGS said had occurred at a depth of 470 km (292 miles). [11]

Tornadoes and a thunderstorm "supercell" have swept across Queensland in Australia], injuring four people and causing widespread damage. The dangerous weather system hit the state's south-east, the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said. One tornado struck Tansey, a town 250km (155 miles) north of Brisbane, snapping trees and ripping roofs from houses. Elsewhere, four people were injured when tennis ball-sized hail shattered car windscreens, authorities said. [12]

A fast and furious Hurricane Michael sped toward the Florida Panhandle with 175 kmph winds and a potential storm surge of 3.7 metres, giving tens of thousands of people precious little time to get out or board up. Drawing energy from the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico with every passing hour, the storm was expected to blow ashore around midday Wednesday near Panama City Beach, along a lightly populated stretch of fishing villages and white-sand spring-break beaches. In Escambia County, on the western edge of the Panhandle, evacuations began in Pensacola Beach and other vulnerable areas, but not in Pensacola itself, a city of about 54,000. Forecasters said parts of Florida's marshy, lightly populated Big Bend area — the crook of Florida's elbow — could see up to 3.7 meters of storm surge. [13]

A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck near the northernmost tip of Haiti, injuring a number of people and causing some damage to buildings including an auditorium that collapsed, authorities and media reported. The quake struck about 12.3 miles (20 kms), west-northwest of the port of Port-de-Paix, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said. Local media reported at least one death. The quake was one of the strongest to hit Haiti since a 7.0 magnitude quake struck near the capital Port-au-Prince in 2010, killing thousands of people in the impoverished Caribbean country. [14]

Tens of thousands marched through the streets of Edinburgh on to show support for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom, a cause Scottish nationalists say has drawn strength from Britain’s struggles to leave the European Union. [15]

At least one person was killed and 14 wounded when a bus carrying workers at a small oil refinery in northern Iraq was blown up by an improvised explosive device, police said. The bus was at the Siniya refinery, near Iraq’s largest oil refinery of Baiji in the predominantly Sunni Salahuddin province, when it exploded, Baiji police said. [16]

International efforts to help survivors of Indonesia’s devastating earthquake and tsunami gathered pace as concern grew for hundreds of thousands with little food and water, six days after disaster struck. Desperate residents on the west coast of Sulawesi island were scavenging for food in farms and orchards as the government struggled to overcome shortages of water, food, shelter and fuel in a disaster zone with no power and degraded communications. Chaos has loomed at times with angry people in the region’s main city of Palu, 1,500 km (930 miles) northeast of Jakarta, looting shops and thronging its small airport, scrambling for any flight out. The official death toll from last Friday’s 7.5 magnitude quake has risen to 1,407, many killed by tsunami waves and landslides it triggered. Officials say the toll will rise. [17]

A passenger aircraft has come down in a lagoon off Chuuk International Airport in Micronesia after it overshot the runway, say airport officials. Images circulating online showed the Air Niugini plane, from Papua New Guinea, sitting in shallow water just off the coast. None of the 35 passengers and 12 crew onboard flight ANG73 suffered serious injuries. The cause of the crash is unclear, but investigations are due to begin soon. [19]

Hurricane Rosa intensified into a major storm in the Pacific Ocean, with maximum sustained winds near 145 miles per hour (230 kph) and little change in strength was expected overnight, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC). Rosa, a Category 4 storm on the five-step Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, was about 605 miles (975 km) southwest of the southern tip of Baja California and moving west at almost 9 mph (15 kph). It is the seventh category 4 hurricane of the season. [20]

Ryanair to cancel 190 flights on Friday

Ryanair to cancel 190 flights on Friday

Sept 26

Ryanair says it has cancelled 190, or about 8% of its 2,400 scheduled flights this Friday. The airline has adjusted its schedule in the face of strike action being taken by unions in Spain, Belgium, Holland, Portugal, Italy and Germany. The Irish airline says this will affect 30,000 passengers, who have been notified by text and email. The long-running industrial action by Ryanair staff centres on working conditions. [21]

The only functioning airport in the Libyan capital Tripoli will reopen its airspace on Wednesday afternoon after clashes between rival militias forced it to close two weeks ago, the airport administration said. Mitiga airport was shut after rockets were fired in its direction. Flights were diverted to Misrata airport about 190 km (120 miles) east of Tripoli. “The carriers are expected to resume flights by the beginning of next week “ the administration said. The facility, a former U.S military basei, closed twice this month due to indiscriminate shelling but no severe damages were reported. [22]

Saudi Arabia will offer an electronic visa for foreign visitors to attend sporting events and concerts from December as it tries to diversify its economy and open up its society. At present, foreigners traveling to the conservative Muslim country are largely restricted to resident workers and their dependents, business travelers, and Muslim pilgrims who are given special visas to travel to holy sites. [23]

Aboard the ship, thought to have sunk between 1575 and 1625, divers found spices, including pepper; Chinese ceramics from the period; and cowries, a type of shell used as currency for the slave trade in some parts of Africa at the time. [24]

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is confronting 5 outbreaks of infectious diseases at the same time. To increase international traveler awareness of these disease outbreaks, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued separate 3 Travel Alerts for Ebola, Measles, and Polio on September 14, 2018. [25]

Hurricane Florence has rapidly intensified into a Category 4 major hurricane southeast of Bermuda and is likely to lash the East Coast later this week with life-threatening storm surge, destructive winds and massive inland rainfall flooding in one of the strongest strikes on this part of the East Coast on record. [27]

August

A powerful undersea earthquake measuring a magnitude 7 struck near New Caledonia in the South Pacific, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said. The quake struck at a shallow depth of 10 km (six miles) some 372 km (230 miles) east of the New Caledonian capital Noumea. The center said there was no Pacific-wide tsunami threat and there were no immediate reports of damage. [29]

A homemade bomb hidden under a motorcycle killed two people, one a child, and wounded 37 at a local street festival in the southern Philippines on Tuesday, security officials said, the latest unrest in a region prone to militancy. The explosion occurred in front of a clothing stall along a highway in Isulan in Sultan Kudarat province, where a festival was taking place. An investigation was underway and there were no immediate claims of responsibility, according to police. [30]

Nearly 400 people have died and thousands remained stranded by the worst flooding in the Indian state of Kerala in a century. More than one million people have been displaced, many of them taking shelter in thousands of relief camps across the state. As the monsoon rains begin to ease, efforts are being stepped up to get relief supplies to isolated areas. [31]

Italy's environmental minister urged prosecutors to look at both possible criminal responsibility and administrative lapses that may have contributed to the deaths of 10 people swept away by a flash flood as they hiked through a narrow gorge in the southern region of Calabria. Rescue workers saved 23 people Monday after a torrent some 2 ½ meters (8 feet) deep filled the narrow Raganello Gorge, which features rock faces as high as 700 meters (2,300 feet,) inside the vast Pollino National Park. Eleven people were hospitalized, including four children who lost either one or both of their parents. Three people who had been listed as missing were located elsewhere, but officials had not yet called off the search as there may be hikers in the gorge without a guide. [32]

More than 100 people are thought to have died in devastating monsoon floods in India's southern state of Kerala, the worst in almost a century. Rescuers battled torrential rains to save residents, with nearly 150,000 reportedly left homeless. The state government said many of those who died were crushed under debris caused by landslides. With more rains predicted and a red alert in place, the main airport has reportedly been shut until 26 August. A state official told AFP that 106 people had now died, while the Economic Times in India reports 114 have been killed. Hundreds of troops have been deployed to rescue those caught up in the flooding, alongside helicopters and lifeboats. [33]

Emergency crews in Australia are battling unseasonal bushfires which have erupted across drought-stricken New South Wales (NSW). Almost 80 fires were burning along the state's coast, having ripped through more than 1,000 hectares in recent days. No lives or homes were in immediate danger, according to officials. Winter bushfires are uncommon but have flared up this year due to dry conditions, authorities say. Last week, the entire state of NSW was declared to be drought-affected.[34]

The scope of California's fires is unprecedented and has resulted in the closure of Yosemite National Park as firefighters battle 17 large fires, one of which is the largest fire in California's history. In total, over 14,000 firefighters are battling fires across the state, working to contain widespread fires as new ones appear almost daily. The National Guard sent in over 2,300 people to help contain the fight and international assistance from Australia and New Zealand are on hand to assist. The Mendocino Complex Fire doubled in size in the past few days, making it the largest fire in California's recorded history. The Mendocino Complex Fire is the result of both the Ranch and River Fires combining near Clear Lake to form the largest fire in history. [35]

Thousands of Romanians are again taking part in an anti-government rally in the capital Bucharest, a day after clashes left more than 400 people injured. So far the protest near the government offices has been noisy but peaceful. Similar demonstrations are also reported in other cities including Cluj, Sibiu, Timisoara and Iasi. On Friday, more than 50,000 people took to the streets against what they described as entrenched corruption and low wages. Many of the demonstrators are Romanian expats who have returned from across Europe to voice their anger at the government. [36]

According to the interior ministry, a total of 1,600 people, most of them campers, were evacuated as a precaution in Gard and the nearby Ardeche and Drome regions. Several parts of central and south-east France are on flood alert after weeks of blazing temperatures erupted in storms, turning several campsites into mudbaths. Around 17,000 homes in the south-west and north-east were without power.[37]

Ryanair endured its worst one-day strike on Friday after a walk-out by pilots in five European countries disrupted the plans of an estimated 55,000 travellers with the budget airline at the height of the summer holiday season. Ryanair, which averted widespread strikes before last Christmas by agreeing to recognise unions for the first time in its 30-year history, has been unable to quell rising protests over slow progress in negotiating collective labour agreements. In response to unions serving strike notices, Ryanair had announced the cancellations of 250 flights in and out of Germany, 104 to and from Belgium and another 42 in Sweden and its home market of Ireland, where around a quarter of its pilots were staging their fifth 24-hour walkout. The airline expected the travel plans of 42,000 travellers to be hit by the action in Germany alone, with the majority of passengers switched to another Ryanair flight and the remainder either refunded or rerouted. [38]

Portugal wildfires still ongoing

Portugal wildfires still ongoing

Aug 6

More than 1,150 firefighters battled the blaze in the popular tourist Algarve region today.
The fire has injured 25 people as temperatures have soared to 46C (115F) in places, close to Portugal's national record of 47.4C (117.3F).
Homes and hotels in the Algarve region have been evacuated as the fire, which began on Friday in Monchique in the Faro district. [39]

Another earthquake hits Indonesia

Another earthquake hits Indonesia

Aug 6

Another deadly earthquake hits Indonesia in popular tourist island Lombok. Death toll has gone up to 98 and hundreds of homes have been severely damaged. President Joko Widodo has urged for a speedy evacuation and boats have been sent to evacuate more than 1,000 tourists.

2018

July

More than 500 hikers who were stranded on a mountain on the Indonesian island of Lombok after an earthquake have been safely evacuated. The 6.4 magnitude quake on Sunday triggered landslides around Mount Rinjani, cutting off escape routes. Most of the hikers and guides were able to walk down after a safe route was found for them but some were flown out by helicopter. At least 16 people were killed in the quake and more than 330 were injured. Rescue workers are still waiting to bring down the body of an Indonesian hiker who was killed by falling rocks. A Malaysian tourist also died. The volcano, which rises 3,726m (12,224ft) above sea level and is the second-highest one in Indonesia, is a favourite among sightseers. Indonesia is prone to earthquakes because it lies on the Ring of Fire - a horse-shoe-shaped string of volcanoes, earthquake sites and tectonic plates that circles virtually the entire Pacific rim.[40]

Seventeen people are missing as a monster wildfire in Northern California spread after killing two firefighters, destroying hundreds of buildings and sending tens of thousands of frantic residents fleeing from their homes. More than 38,000 people in Redding and elsewhere in Shasta County have been ordered to leave their homes from the 32,740-hectare Carr Fire, which has destroyed at least 500 homes and businesses. Officials warned further evacuation orders were possible. Some 3400 firefighters on the ground and in 17 helicopters were battling the fire, which was just five per cent contained as it ripped through Redding, a city of 90,000 people, in California's scenic Shasta-Trinity area.[42]

A powerful storm has hit Japan, bringing torrential rain and winds of up to 180km/h (110mph). Typhoon Jongdari (or "skylark" in Korean) made landfall on the country's main island, Honshu, at 01:00 (16:00 GMT) on Sunday. Weather officials have since downgraded it to a tropical storm, but warn that heavy rain could trigger landslides. The storm comes less than a month after floods killed more than 200 people, and then a heatwave left dozens dead. [43]

There are "serious indications of arson" in one of several Greek wildfires that killed more than 80 people this week, authorities said Thursday. The fires started in the town of Penteli in east Attica on Monday. [44]

At least 215 people have died in a series of apparently co-ordinated attacks in south-western Syria, local officials and a monitoring group say. Several suicide bombings struck in and around the government-held city of Suweida - the main city in the province - on Wednesday. [45]

A continuing heat wave in Japan has led to temperatures as high as 40C, with the casualties climbing up as more deaths were reported. Public broadcaster NHK reported that until Friday a number of people had been taken to hospital due to heat stroke related symptoms. [46]

Israel has attacked military targets in the Gaza Strip, after its soldiers came under gunfire at the border. The Israeli military announced that one soldier had died from his wounds, the first in the most recent clashes. [47]

Storms across East Coast causes thousands of flight cancellations

Storms across East Coast causes thousands of flight cancellations

July 17

Heavy storms in the East Coast has caused more than 1,500 flight cancellations and 4,000 flight delays. The storm zone goes from Maryland to Maine with the Northeast experiencing flash flood alerts. [48]

Ryanair cancels 30 flights as strike hits

Ryanair cancels 30 flights as strike hits

July 12

Ryanair is facing its first day of industrial action in Ireland since the airline bowed to pressure from staff and recognised trades unions. The budget airline has cancelled 30 flights on Thursday after the Irish Airline Pilots' Association voted to strike last week. Only flights between Ireland and the UK are affected. However, Ryanair is facing further strikes in Spain, Portugal, Italy and Belgium later in the summer. [49]

At least 141 people are now known to have died in floods and landslides triggered by torrential rain in western Japan, says the government. It is the highest death toll caused by rainfall that Japan has seen in more than three decades. Rescuers are now digging through mud and rubble in a race to find survivors, as dozens are still missing. About two million people have been evacuated from the region after rivers burst their banks. Authorities have opened up school halls and gymnasiums to those who have been displaced by the rainfall. There remains a risk of landslides, with rain-sodden hilltops liable to collapse. [50]

A suicide bomber blew himself up on Tuesday in the Afghan city of Jalalabad, killing at least 10 people, government officials said, but no militant group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. [51]

Taiwan braced for super typhoon Maria on Tuesday, as airlines canceled flights and the weather bureau warned against landslides and flash floods on the heavily industrialized island. Maria was expected to make landfall late on Tuesday, hitting Taiwan’s northern region the hardest, as it moves in a west-northwesterly direction at 30 kph (19 mph), from its location 490 km (305 miles) east of Yilan County, weather officials said. Troops were deployed in some areas, with heavy rain and winds expected into early Wednesday. [52]

Level two alert has caused an outbreak of drug resistant typhoid in Pakistan. This has led USA health officials to issue travel alert for the country. CDC has also advised that anyone heading to Paskistan or in South Asia should take caution with food and water and to get a typhoid vaccination. [53]

June

Mount Agung in Bali erupts for the second time in less than a year causing hundreds of flights to cancel with hundreds of concerned passengers stuck at the airport. Ash cloud of the volcano was reported to reach a height of 2000m after it began to erupt the night of Thursday, June 28th, 2018. [54]

World heritage body Unesco has removed the Belize Barrier Reef from its list of endangered World Heritage Sites after nine years. It said the government of the Central American country had taken "visionary" steps to preserve it. The reef is the second largest in the world after Australia's Great Barrier Reef. It is home to many threatened species including marine turtles, manatees and the American marine crocodile [55]

Ethiopian Airlines is to restart its flights to Eritrea for the first time since 1998 when conflict erupted between the two nations over their disputed border, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has said.[56]

Air strikes have reportedly put three hospitals out of service in rebel-held south-western Syria, as pro-government forces press on with a major offensive. A medical charity and a monitoring group said the facilities in the towns of Saida, Jizah and Musayfira, east of the city of Deraa, were hit overnight. The strikes came as the army made gains in the region, which borders Jordan and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Up to 50,000 people have been displaced by the fighting in the past week. The provinces of Deraa and Quneitra had been relatively calm for almost a year because of a "de-escalation" agreement brokered by the US and Jordan, which support the opposition, and Russia, a key ally of the government. [57]

Ethiopian officials say one person has died and dozens more are injured, after an explosion at a huge political rally for the new Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. Mr Abiy described it as an "unsuccessful attempt by forces who do not want to see Ethiopia united". He was whisked away immediately after the blast, thought to be from a grenade thrown amid thousands of people in Addis Ababa's Meskel Square. [59]

The Syrian army and allied forces pounded rebel-held areas of the southwest as thousands of civilians fled to safer opposition held areas along the border with Jordan and Israel, aid workers and rebels said. [60]

FBI warns sexual assaults on airline flights

FBI warns sexual assaults on airline flights

June 20

While sexual assaults on airline flights are relatively rare, reports has shown that there's been an increase in such case in recent years. In 2014, 38 cases of in-flight sexual assaults were reported to FBI. Last year, the number increased to 63 but officials believe the crimes are significantly under-reported. [61]

Thousands of flights to Spain may be cancelled in light of strike

Thousands of flights to Spain may be cancelled in light of strike

June 20

Many flights to Spain may be cancelled due to Spanish air controllers going on strike. Workers are demanding better shifts to spend more times with their families. There may not be too many flight cancellations but delays. [62]

In over three days in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, Hurricane Bud became a Category 4 hurricane. The hurricane's center is currently about 350 miles south-southeast of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico moving northwestward. [63]

Guatemala’s Fuego volcano errupts

Guatemala’s Fuego volcano errupts

June 4

killing at least 25 people and leaving dazed residents covered in ash as they searched for loved ones.
The volcanic eruption Sunday spewed a river of red, hot lava and belched thick clouds of smoke nearly six miles into the air. [64]

May

An explosive eruption at Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano has sent ash 30,000ft (9,100m) into the sky. The eruption took place at 04:15 local time (14:15 GMT) on Thursday, and scientists say further activity is likely in the near future. Staff at the volcano observatory and the national park had been evacuated. Since a new zone of Kilauea began erupting almost two weeks ago, lava has wrecked dozens of homes and forced hundreds of people to be evacuated. A red aviation code had already been issued - warning pilots to avoid the potentially damaging ash cloud. The US Geological Survey had warned that an explosive eruption at Kilauea was becoming more likely as the volcano's lava lake was lowering. This increases the risk of steam-powered explosions as the magma meets underground water. Hawaii's emergency management agency advised people in the area affected by ash to stay in their homes if possible. [65]

Emergency health talks as Ebola spreads

Emergency health talks as Ebola spreads

18 May

The World Health Organization (WHO) is to hold an emergency meeting to discuss the risk of Ebola spreading from the Democratic Republic of Congo. A panel will decide on Friday whether to declare a "public health emergency of international concern", which would trigger a larger response. At least 44 people are believed to have been infected in the current outbreak and 23 deaths are being investigated. Cases emerged in a rural area with one now confirmed in the city of Mbandaka. The city of about one million people is a transport hub on the Congo River, prompting fears that the virus could now spread further, threatening the capital Kinshasa and surrounding countries. [66]

Dozens die as US embassy opening looms

Dozens die as US embassy opening looms

14 May

At least 41 Palestinians have been killed and 1,800 wounded by Israeli troops in clashes on the Gaza border, Palestinian officials say. The violence comes ahead of the opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem, which has infuriated Palestinians. They see it as clear US backing for Israeli rule over the whole city, whose eastern part Palestinians lay claim to. Top US officials, including President Donald Trump's daughter and her husband, are attending Monday's event. [67]

At least 61 people have died in fierce dust storms across four Indian states since Sunday evening, with officials warning of more bad weather to come. High-speed winds and lightning devastated many villages, bringing down homes and leaving dozens injured. The northern state of Uttar Pradesh reported the highest death toll - 38. More than 70 people had died in dust storms in the state earlier in May. India's Meteorological Department had issued a warning on Sunday before the storms hit, warning people to stay within their homes. Wind speeds were around 109 km/h (67mph) accompanied by thunder and lightning, officials said. Air travel in Delhi was also affected, with around 70 flights being diverted from the city's international airport on Sunday night. [68]

Suicide bombers have attacked three churches in Indonesia's second-largest city Surabaya, killing at least 11 people. Around 40 others were injured in the attacks, which occurred within minutes of each other. No group has so far said it carried them out. TV pictures showed debris scattered around the entrance of one church. Indonesia, the most populous Muslim-majority country, has seen a resurgence of Islamist militancy in recent months. More than 90% of Indonesians are Muslim, but there are also significant populations of Christians, Hindus and Buddhists. The attack is the deadliest since 2005, when three suicide bombings on the resort island of Bali killed 20 people. [69]

A knifeman shouting "Allahu akbar" was shot dead by police in central Paris after he killed one person and injured four, prompting a terror probe. The attack took place near the city's main opera house in an area full of bars, restaurants and theatres which were brimming on a weekend night. Thousands of French troops remain on the streets under an anti-terror operation known as Sentinelle, patrolling transport hubs, tourist hotspots and other sensitive sites. [70]

At least 26 people were killed after armed attackers targeted a village in north-west Burundi, amid tensions ahead of a controversial referendum. The group crossed from the Democratic Republic of Congo into Cibitoke province, officials said. They went house to house with guns and knives, burning homes, witnesses said. Correspondents say the attack may have been an attempt to disrupt next week's referendum which could extend the president's term until 2034. President Nkurunziza has ruled Burundi since the civil war ended there in 2005. His attempt to run for a third term in 2015 plunged the tiny central African nation into fresh turmoil. [71]

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said Nigeria is no longer at the "critical phase" in dealing with the Lassa fever outbreak. The organisation said in a statement that only a handful of cases had been recorded in the past six weeks.[72]

Israel says it has struck almost all of Iran's military infrastructure inside Syria in its biggest assault since the start of the civil war there. The strikes came after 20 rockets were fired at Israeli military positions in the occupied Golan Heights overnight. Syria's military said the Israeli "aggression" had killed three people. There was no immediate comment from Iran, whose deployment of troops to Syria to help President Bashar al-Assad has alarmed Israel. [73]

Tens of thousands of Nicaraguans have taken part in fresh anti-government protests in the capital, Managua, and in Matagalpa y Chinandega. Wearing the blue and white of the flag, Wednesday's protesters held pictures of people reportedly killed in last month's demonstrations. Government supporters held a smaller rally in another part of the capital. Last month's unrest began after President Daniel Ortega approved cuts to pensions and social security. [74]

At least 32 people have died after heavy rains caused a dam to burst in Kenya, sweeping away homes across a vast area of farmland. The breach happened near the town of Solai, 190km (120 miles) north-west of the capital, Nairobi. The dead are thought to include children and women trapped in mud. The Kenyan Red Cross says it has rescued some 40 people so far. More than 2,000 people are said to have been left homeless. Local officials say the full extent of the damage is not yet clear. There are fears the death toll could rise as the search-and-rescue operation continues. [75]

As of Sunday night (May 6), at least 10 fissure vents were reported in the neighborhood — including two that had opened anew late Saturday night — and at least 26 homes had been destroyed, according to the county civil defense agency. More outbreaks are likely to occur along the rift zone, officials said. [76]

April

Thousands of people have fled renewed fighting between the army and ethnic Kachin rebels in Myanmar's northernmost state. Some 4,000 people have been driven from their homes since early April, according to the UN. It comes as a longstanding conflict between the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO) and government troops escalates. The military is said to be pounding the rebels with airstrikes and artillery. As well as the thousands displaced, there are fears that many people remain trapped in conflict-stricken areas, near the border with China. Aid organisations have urged the government to allow them access. [77]

Over a thousand people gathered in the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai to protest against the building of a government luxury housing project on forested land, in one of the largest demonstrations under military rule. The gathering was one of the largest since Thailand’s junta took power following a 2014 coup. The junta imposed a ban on public gatherings of over five people and has largely curbed freedom of expression through various orders and used military and police force to block public gatherings. [78]

Ten people have been killed and 15 injured after a man drove a van into pedestrians in Toronto, police said. The suspect has been named by police as Alek Minassian, 25. A man was arrested several streets away following a tense standoff with officers on the street. Bystander videos appeared to show the driver pointing an object at the officers, who could be heard shouting at him to get down. The man was then detained without any shots being fired. [79]

The Spanish resort city of Palma, on the island of Majorca, is to ban flat owners from renting their apartments to travellers, becoming the first place in Spain to introduce such a measure. The restrictions follow complaints from residents of rising rents due to short holiday lets through websites and apps. Palma's mayor says the ban, to be introduced in July, will be a model for cities suffering with mass tourism. [80]

he United Arab Emirates is to give $50m (£36m) to help rebuild a landmark mosque in the Iraqi city of Mosul blown up by Islamic State militants. The UN's cultural agency said a five-year project would restore and reconstruct faithfully the Great Mosque of al-Nuri and its leaning minaret. The mosque is where IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi proclaimed the creation of a "caliphate" in 2014. The jihadist group destroyed it three years later as Iraqi troops closed in [81]

Puerto Rico has suffered an island-wide power outage nearly seven months after Hurricane Maria destroyed much of the island's infrastructure and power grid. The US territory's power authority, known as Prepa, said it was working to restore service to almost 3.4 million people within 24 to 36 hours. [82]

Fierce clashes have erupted again on the Gaza-Israel border, with Palestinian officials reporting hundreds of people injured. More than 30 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli gunfire since the start of "Flag Friday" demonstrations two weeks ago. Another man died this Friday, the Palestinian health ministry says. Protesters want refugees to be allowed to return to ancestral land now in Israel. But Israel says the militant group Hamas, which dominates Gaza, is orchestrating the demonstrations in order to launch attacks. [83]

Cancun is making negative waves as it's been reported that 14 people have been killed in 36 hours. Mexico's most popular tourist town has been hit by a record number of killings in one day as a result from drug trafficking gangs stepping up violence fueled by the U.S. opioid epidemic. [84]

At least 257 people have died after a military plane crashed in northern Algeria, the defence ministry says. The incident happened shortly after the aircraft took off from Boufarik military airport near the capital Algiers in the morning. Most of the dead are army personnel and their families, according to the defence ministry. Ten crew members were also killed. It is not yet clear what caused the crash. [85]

US President Donald Trump has lifted the controversial travel ban his administration imposed on Chad about six months ago. The central African state had improved the sharing of information about "suspected terrorists", and had taken steps to make its passports more secure, a White House statement said. Chad had criticised the ban, saying it was being unfairly targeted. Citizens from seven other countries are still banned from entering the US. They include Somalia, Libya, Iran, Syria, Yemen, North Korea and Venezuela. [86]

April snow disrupts flights in New York and New Jersey

April snow disrupts flights in New York and New Jersey

02 April

3 inches fell across the city, disrupting commutes, grounding flights, and postponing the Yankee's home opener According to Port Authority offictals, 91 flights were canceled and 113 delayed out of LaGuardia Airport. Newark_(New_Jersey) saw 22 cancellations and 110 delays and JFK axed 26 flights, with another 74 set back by the weather. [87]

March

Orange snow baffles eastern Europeans

Orange snow baffles eastern Europeans

26 March

People in eastern Europe have been wondering at the appearance of orange-tinted snow. Pictures of the snow have been posted on social media from Russia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Romania and Moldova. Meteorologists say the phenomenon is caused by sand from Sahara desert storms mixing with snow and rain. It occurs roughly once every five years but concentrations of sand are higher than usual this time. People have complained of sand in their mouths. [88]

Skiers and snowboarders from resorts near the Russian city of Sochi sent pictures of the unusual scenes.

Russian shopping centre inferno kills 64

Russian shopping centre inferno kills 64

26 March

At least 64 people have died in a fire that tore through a shopping and entertainment complex in the Siberian coal-mining city of Kemerovo. Many of the victims are children, Russian officials say, with 10 people still listed as missing. Kemerovo, a key coal-producing area, lies about 3,600km (2,200 miles) east of Moscow. [89]

The first scheduled non-stop flight between Australia and the UK has touched down in London's Heathrow Airport. Qantas Flight QF9 completed its 14,498km (9,009-mile) journey from Perth in just over 17 hours. It is part of ambitious plans by Qantas to add ultra long-haul flights to its schedules. The Australian flag carrier's Chief Executive, Alan Joyce, has called the new service a "game-changing route". Other carriers, including Emirates and United Airlines, have also flown non-stop journeys greater than 14,000km. In 2017, United Airlines launched a route from Los Angeles to Singapore, offering the longest-distance non-stop flight available from the US. But Singapore Airlines has provided the world's longest flight, travelling more than 15,300km from Singapore to New York on a direct route that was discontinued in 2013. [90]

The Ministry of Public Health has confirmed 29 people were killed and 52 wounded in Wednesday's deadly bombing in PD3 in Kabul. This came after the Ministry of Interior confirmed a suicide bomber detonated his explosives close to the Ali Abad Hospital and Kabul University at around mid-day. [91]

A plane has crashed at Tribhuvan International Airport in Nepal's capital, Kathmandu. The plane, operated by US-Bangla, a Bangladeshi airline, veered off the runway while landing on Monday afternoon, causing a blaze. The plane had 67 passengers and four crew on board, officials say. There are casualties but the number has not been confirmed. Seventeen people on board have been rescued so far, the authorities say. All flights in and out of the airport have been cancelled, the Kathmandu Post reports. [92]

A Muslim-owned restaurant was vandalised in Sri Lanka Sunday despite a nation-wide police alert against hate crimes after last week's ethnic riots provoked a state of emergency, officials said. Hundreds of Buddhist monks and activists staged demonstrations in Colombo denouncing the anti-Muslim attacks and urging authorities to take strong action against the perpetrators. Police said nearly 150 people, including the main instigator, have been arrested over last week's unrest. [93]

Sri Lanka declared a nationwide state of emergency for 10 days on Tuesday to stop the spread of communal violence, a government spokesman said, after clashes erupted between majority Buddhists and members of the minority Muslim community. Tension has been growing between the two communities in Sri Lanka over the past year, with some hardline Buddhist groups accusing Muslims of forcing people to convert to Islam and vandalizing Buddhist archaeological sites. [94]

Strong aftershocks have rocked Papua New Guinea's remote and rugged highlands, as the death toll climbed to 55 from a 7.5-magnitude earthquake a week ago, and is expected to rise further. Three aftershocks of magnitude greater than 5.0 shook the mountainous Southern Highlands, about 600km northwest of the capital Port Moresby, the US Geological Survey said, including a shallow magnitude 6.0 quake [95]

At least 15 people are believed to have been injured after fighting broke out between rival factions in Zimbabwe's main opposition party. Supporters of Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) vice president Thokozani Khupe clashed with supporters of Nelson Chamisa in Bulawayo. [96]

February

China’s smog-prone port city of Tianjin issued its first level 2 “orange” pollution alert this year effective from March 1, the city government said in a statement on its website. Pollution is expected to blanket the city and nearby regions, including Beijing and Hebei, until March 4. No time was given for the alert to be lifted. Emergency measures will be enforced on transportation and at industrial plants. China has four levels of pollution alerts, graded from red to blue. [97]

Up to 14 people were killed in landslides and by collapsed buildings during a powerful earthquake in the remote Papua New Guinea highlands, police and a hospital worker said on Tuesday, with unconfirmed reports of up to 30 dead. The 7.5 magnitude quake that rocked the region early on Monday also damaged mining and power infrastructure and led ExxonMobil Corp to shut its $19 billion liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant, the country’s biggest export earner. [98]

At least 14 people were killed and 40 wounded when Islamist car suicide bombers and gunmen tried to storm the headquarters of a counter-terrorism unit in the southern port city of Aden, security and medical sources said. Islamic State, in a statement carried by its Amaq news agency, claimed responsibility for what it described as two “martyrdom operations” targeting the camp in Tawahi district in south-western Aden. The agency provided no immediate evidence for the claim. Security sources said two suicide bombers detonated two cars laden with explosives at the camp’s entrance while six gunmen tried to storm the facility. [99]

The UN Security Council has unanimously approved a resolution demanding a 30-day ceasefire in Syria to allow aid deliveries and medical evacuations. However, some of the biggest jihadist rebel groups, and their associates, are not covered by the truce, raising questions about its real impact. The Eastern Ghouta rebel enclave near Damascus has been bombarded by government forces for the past week. And air strikes began soon after the vote in New York, activists said. The vote had been delayed several times since Thursday as members struggled to come to an agreement. Some 500 people are said to have been killed by government forces in the enclave since last Sunday while rebels fire on Damascus has reportedly killed at least 16 civilians. [100]

There has been an explosion at the US Embassy in Montenegro, the government says. An unidentified attacker threw an explosive device into the embassy compound in the capital Podgorica, before killing himself, it tweeted. It said the device thrown was likely a hand grenade. No other injuries have been reported. The US embassy issued a security alert, advising people to stay away from the mission. [101]

A bomb blast killed two bank employees and injured 22 other people in Myanmar’s northeastern city of Lashio, the government and the military said. Police said an investigation was under way but would not elaborate on whether there were any suspects in the attack. Lashio is in Myanmar’s restive Shan State where several ethnic insurgent groups are fighting the Myanmar military. [102]

At least 15 people were killed in an air strike by the Saudi-led coalition air strike in northern Yemen, residents said. They said the aircraft hit two cars transporting passengers and a truck on a main road south of the Saada provincial capital. They said 15 people died in the strike while several others were wounded. [103]

Weekend snowstorm, drenching rain to pound eastern US

Feb 4

A fast-moving storm will bring drenching rain on its southeastern flank and accumulating snow on its northwestern flank in the eastern United States Saturday night through Sunday night. However, the storm is forecast to be potent enough to produce urban flooding, deliver enough snow to shovel and plow and cause substantial travel delays.
[104]

January

French fishermen have blocked the ports of Calais and Boulogne in protest at so-called pulse fishing, which uses electrified nets to stun fish. Fishing boats stopped ferries entering or leaving Calais while a roadblock stopped traffic at Boulogne. Calais is a major link between the UK and France used by thousands of tourists and lorries every day. [105]

The number of people killed after a vehicle drove over a landmine in central Mali has increased to 24, local residents have told the news agency AFP. The army had earlier put the figure at 13, according to Reuters news agency. [106]

Tens of thousands of Uruguayan farmers held a protest in the city of Durazno to demand more government support for their industry. Agriculture is key to the economy of Uruguay, which is one of the world's largest cattle exporters. [107]

Tokyo saw its heaviest snow in four years on Monday, with authorities urging evening commuters to hurry home and prompting those behind the wheel to brace for traffic disruptions.The heavy snow in the capital prompted the Meteorological Agency to issue a warning to all of Tokyo’s 23 wards at around 2:30 p.m. — the first official heavy snow warning since February 2014.The transport ministry even issued an “emergency” announcement Sunday urging people to refrain from leaving their homes unless necessary. On Monday evening, about 50 cars were stranded on the Rainbow Bridge over Tokyo Bay due to heavy snow, NHK reported. The Sankei Shimbun said the bridge had been closed due to car accidents caused by the snow, leaving as many as 300 cars in gridlock.At the same time, the Yurikamome Line — which also traverses Tokyo Bay — came to a halt after a train reportedly failed to make it up a slope due to snow on the track. The line was still stopped as of 9 p.m. [108]

Delta to Get Tough on Emotional Support Dogs

Delta to Get Tough on Emotional Support Dogs

22 Jan

Delta Air Lines has announced that starting March 1, passengers will need to upload documentation at least 48 hours in advance of any flight for all pets who plan to travel uncaged.Essentially, Delta passengers can bring on board three types of animal—a service dog or pet, which has been officially trained and provides assistance to passengers with disabilities; an emotional support pet, which is not required to receive any training, but is deemed essential to passengers who require emotional comfort; and caged or kenneled pets. Pets in the first two categories are not one and the same, according to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA,) which says that emotional support “[describes] animals that provide comfort just by being with a person. Because they have not been trained to perform a specific job or task, they do not qualify as service animals under the ADA.”[109]

Afghan security forces say they have regained control of a luxury hotel in Kabul after it was stormed by gunmen. At least five civilians were killed and six were injured in the siege, the interior ministry said on Sunday. All three of the attackers have been killed, a ministry spokesman said. More than 150 people were rescued. The gunmen burst into the Intercontinental Hotel on Saturday evening, shooting at guests and staff and detonating grenades. Special forces battled to secure the hotel and rescue people trapped inside, ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said. He added that one foreigner was among those killed. The rescued guests included 41 foreigners. Saturday's siege came just days after the US embassy in Kabul issued a warning about hotels in the city. "We are aware of reports that extremist groups may be planning an attack against hotels in Kabul," the embassy wrote in a public security alert published Thursday, though it highlighted another hotel near the international airport as a possible target. "These groups may also be targeting public gatherings/demonstrations, government facilities, transportation, markets, and places where foreigners are known to congregate." [110]

One protester has been killed in clashes in Honduras between riot police and demonstrators who dispute the result of November's presidential poll. Police fired tear gas and cleared roadblocks made of burning tyres across the country. The death occurred in the northern town of Saba. The protest was organized by supporters of the defeated opposition candidate. [111]

Brazil's south-eastern state of Minas Gerais has declared a public health emergency following a deadly outbreak of yellow fever. At least 15 people have died there since December. Many areas, including the state capital Belo Horizonte, have been affected. A mass vaccination programme is in place in three southern states. But queues have formed outside clinics in Rio and Sao Paulo amid concerns that vaccines could run out. In neighbouring Argentina, there have also been long queues for the vaccine in Buenos Aires and other cities as thousands of prospective tourists prepare to travel to Brazil for carnival. The WHO recommends that travellers to Sao Paulo state get a yellow fever vaccine before visiting. [112]

Rail services are getting back to normal in Germany as trees and other debris are cleared from lines hit by a severe storm that claimed eight lives. Three people died earlier in the Netherlands in accidents caused by hurricane-strength winds. Fallen trees and other debris are still blocking many railway lines in Germany. Work went on all night to clear them. The storm has moved east into Poland. It was the most powerful storm to hit Germany for 11 years. [113]

A powerful earthquake that struck in the Gulf of California shook buildings and sent people running outdoors across parts of northern Mexico, but there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake measured at 6.3 magnitude, after initially reporting it at 6.6. The epicenter was 48 miles (77 km) north-northeast of the town of Loreto in the state of Baja California Sur, the USGS said. [114]

The world's longest underwater cave has been discovered near the city of Tulum

The world's longest underwater cave has been discovered near the city of Tulum

17 Jan

The new discovery connects two previously known flooded caves into one 215-mile-long stretch. [115]

Thousands of protesters from India's low-caste Dalit community have disrupted key transport services in the country's financial capital, Mumbai. Several local trains have been delayed or cancelled, buses have been damaged and schools are shut. Similar disruptions have also been reported from other parts of the western state of Maharashtra. Dalit groups are protesting against violence involving right-wing Hindu groups in Pune city. More than 100 protesters have been arrested since then. The state authorities have appealed for peace. [116]]

A deadly cold snap that has left the US shivering in record-breaking temperatures for the New Year is expected to worsen in the coming days. Several deaths have been blamed on the deep freeze, which is forecast to heap more snow on the East Coast this week, the National Weather Service said. Tourists visiting Niagara Falls have posted photos of the waters freezing. The cold was expected to ease temporarily on Wednesday before the frigid temperatures return on Thursday. The US National Weather Service tweeted: "Arctic air mass will bring a prolonged period of much-below-normal temperatures and dangerously cold wind chills to the central and eastern US over the next week." Schools in the eastern and central US have announced closures. The central US has borne the brunt of the frigid temperatures since the snap began around Christmas. [117]

2017

December

Some anti-establishment protests happening in Iranian cities have turned violent. They began three days ago - initially in protest at falling living standards - and are the biggest show of dissent since huge pro-reform rallies in 2009. Demonstrators have ignored a warning by Iran's interior minister to avoid "illegal gatherings". Two demonstrators are reported dead in Dorud after sustaining gunshot wounds in a video posted on social media. [118]

Bitter cold continues to blanket the northern United States and Canada as forecasters warn that the deep freeze will continue into the start of 2018. International Falls in the US state of Minnesota - the self-proclaimed "Icebox of the Nation" - saw temperatures drop to -37F (-38.3C). New Hampshire's Mount Washington, home of the "worst weather in the world", set a new low record at -34F (-36.6C). Parts of Canada are colder than the North Pole or Mars, officials say. [119]

Anti-government demonstrations that began in Iran on Thursday have now spread to several major cities. Large numbers reportedly turned out in Rasht, in the north, and Kermanshah, in the west, with smaller protests in Isfahan, Hamadan and elsewhere. The protests began against rising prices but have spiralled into a general outcry against clerical rule and government policies. A small number of people have been arrested in Tehran, the capital. [120]

At least 41 people have been killed and more than 80 wounded in a suicide bomb attack in the Afghan capital, Kabul. A Shia cultural organisation was the target but the Afghan Voice news agency was also hit. So-called Islamic State said it was behind the attack. IS has been behind a number of attacks on Shia targets across the country in recent months. [121]

A record-breaking snowfall of more than 60 inches (150 cm) has hit the Pennsylvanian city of Erie over the Christmas period, with even more said to be on the way. The city has declared a citywide emergency as a result of the storm, which began on Sunday. New York, northern Ohio and northern Michigan are also heavily hit. Forecasters say the extreme weather is caused by very cold air passing over the unfrozen Great Lakes. [122]

Passengers at the world's busiest airport faced a second day of disruption on Monday after a power cut led to hundreds of cancellations. Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson airport lost power on Sunday, affecting tens of thousands of people. Passengers were left in darkened terminals or on board planes. Power was restored overnight and a handful of passenger flights resumed just after 06:00 local time (11:00 GMT) on Monday. Hundreds of other flights, however, were cancelled. The airport is the world's busiest, handling more than 250,000 passengers and almost 2,500 flights every day. But during its first hour of operation on Monday morning, fewer than a dozen commercial flights departed. [123]

At least 61 people have been killed in clashes between different ethnic groups in Ethiopia's Oromia region since Thursday, officials said. It is not clear what caused the latest violence between ethnic Somalis and Oromos. But it comes after soldiers shot dead 16 ethnic Oromos at a protest, reports Reuters news agency. Ethiopia's Oromia and Somali regions share a long internal border and in the past have fought over grazing land. [124]

Ryanair pilots have suspended a pre-Christmas one-day strike, union bosses have announced. The Impact union, which represents Irish-based pilots, has agreed to meet Ryanair's management on Tuesday ahead of the planned action on Wednesday. It follows Ryanair's decision on Friday to recognise unions, in a bid to avert strikes across its European operations. The airline has offered to recognise trade unions for the first time after pilots in Ireland, the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain and Portugal threatened walkouts. [125]

Fifteen people are missing in the remote village of Villa Santa Lucía in the country's lake region, popular with tourists. President Michelle Bachelet has declared a state of emergency in the area. Thousands remain without electricity and cut off from the rest of Chile. The village is near Corcovado National Park, popular with tourists for its volcanoes, fjords and forests. [126]

Three people have died and 32 have been injured after a mudslide swept through the town of Corinto in Colombia's south-west Cauca province. Emergency workers said the La Paila river burst its banks and swept mud, boulders and branches through the town's centre. More than 200 families in the town are affected and thousands of people have been evacuated. Mountainous areas of Colombia are often hit by landslides. [128]

Tensions erupted as French officials and residents of a Paris suburb tried to block Muslims from praying in the street — a dispute that reflects nationwide problems with mosque shortages. No one was hurt in the skirmishes in Clichy-la-Garenne, but both sides appeared to be digging in their heels in the dispute over prayer space in the town. A few dozen worshippers tried to pray anyway but retreated to a less visible spot, seeking to avoid confrontation with the protesters. But the demonstrators squeezed them toward a wooden wall. [129]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government made it tougher on Wednesday for Americans to book trips and do business with Cuba, making good on a pledge by President Donald Trump to roll back his Democratic predecessor’s move toward warmer ties with Havana.[130]

October

Kenyan opposition supporters skirmished with police and threw up burning barricades in pockets of the country on Thursday, seeking to derail President Uhuru Kenyatta's likely re-election with a low voter turnout. The election commission said that more than one in 10 polling stations failed to open. Voting was delayed until Oct. 28 in four of Kenya's 47 counties - all in the opposition-supporting west - due to "security challenges". The repeat election is being closely watched across East Africa, which relies on Kenya as a trade and logistics hub, and in the West, which considers Nairobi a bulwark against Islamist militancy in Somalia and civil conflict in South Sudan and Burundi. In the western city of Kisumu, police used tear gas and fired live rounds over the heads of stone-throwing youths heeding opposition leader Raila Odinga's call for a voter boycott. Gunfire killed one protester and wounded three, a nurse said. [131]

This year's very active hurricane season threatens to throw up another spell of damaging weather over the next few days. Nicaragua is currently bracing for the possible formation of a tropical storm as a clutch of storms continues to gather in the western Caribbean. The showers and thunderstorms associated with a broad area of low pressure have gradually become more organised recently.The storms have gathered just off Nicaragua's eastern coast, and according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), their proximity to land is likely to limit development, at least for a while. [132]

Thousands of taxi drivers in the Colombian capital Bogota have blocked roads and clashed with police in protest at hail services such as Uber. Yellow cabs lined the streets of the city as drivers objected to what they said was an unfair advantage awarded to app-based services.
The protesters are calling for more regulation on technology companies like Uber and Cabify, who they say are not obliged to pay insurance.The strike caused major disruption. [133]

Vaping is being outlawed in indoor public spaces in the US state of New York. A new rule, which will come into law in 30 days, will mean that the practice will be treated the same as smoking normal cigarettes. Vaping will be banned in places including restaurants, bars and offices. New York was one of the first states to ban cigarettes in indoor public spaces in 2003. [134]

A powerful typhoon caused flooding and landslides along the Pacific coast of Japan, killing at least two people. Typhoon Lan made landfall in central Japan around 3 a.m. Monday and swept across Tokyo before heading out to sea several hours later off northeastern Japan. Heavy rains inundated neighborhoods in Wakayama prefecture, south of Osaka. Domestic flights were canceled and some of Japan’s high-speed “bullet” trains, as well as other trains, were suspended. Parts of expressways were closed as a precaution for possible flooding. [135]

A massive fire has destroyed an iconic luxury hotel in the city of Yangon in Myanmar, killing one person. Two others were injured in the blaze at the Kandawgyi Palace. The hotel, which was largely made out of teak and built in a traditional Burmese style, was a local landmark popular with tourists. It took hundreds of firefighters several hours to put out the blaze. More than 140 guests were evacuated.[136]

Four people have been injured in clashes between riot police and demonstrators demanding major reforms in Ukraine's capital Kiev.The protesters are calling for an anti-corruption court to be set up, MPs to lose their immunity from prosecution, and changes to the electoral system. They vowed to stay on, putting up tents and blocking the main road outside the parliament building in central Kiev.[137]

Forty people have died and hundreds are still missing in California after six days of wildfires that have devastated swathes of countryside and destroyed thousands of homes. California's governor said it was "one of the greatest tragedies" the state had ever faced. More than 10,000 firefighters are battling 16 remaining blazes. Winds of up to 70 km/h (45mph) brought them to new towns, forcing many more people to evacuate. One of the worst-affected areas is the city of Santa Rosa, in the Sonoma wine region, where 3,000 people were evacuated on Saturday.It is the most lethal outbreak of wildfires in the state's history. More than 100,000 people have been displaced. and whole neighbourhoods have been reduced to ash. [138]

The death toll from two bomb attacks, one of which tore through a busy junction outside the Safari Hotel in the heart of Somalia's capital Mogadishu, has risen to 85. It has become one of the deadliest attacks in the country since Islamist militants launched an insurgency in 2007. Police said a truck bomb exploded outside the Safari Hotel at the K5 intersection, which is lined with government offices, restaurants and kiosks, flattening buildings and setting vehicles on fire. A separate blast struck the Medina district two hours later. [139]

The first scheduled commercial airline service to the remote British island of St Helena in the south Atlantic has touched down safely.The virgin flight, an SA Airlink service from South Africa, ends the island's long-standing reliance on a ship which sailed every three weeks. It is hoped that the service, funded by the UK, will boost tourism and help make St Helena more self-sufficient. It is chiefly known as the island to which French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte was exiled after his defeat in the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, and where died. [140]

Argentine Airlines has become the latest carrier to suspend flights to the Venezuelan capital, Caracas. The company said it had concerns over security in Venezuela because of increasing criminal violence and political uncertainty. It joins dozens of airlines who have taken similar action. Iata, the trade body for the world's airlines, says Venezuela is becoming increasingly isolated.[141]

At least 10 people are dead as more than a dozen wildfires ravage through California. The Governor of California Jerry Brow has declared a state of emergency in eight counties, including the famous "wine country" region Napa. [142]

Monarch Airlines ceases operations

50 dead after shooting on Las Vegas Strip

50 dead after shooting on Las Vegas Strip

October 1st

The gunman in the mass shooting on the Las Vegas Strip has been identified. Police responded after reports of shots being fired from the Mandalay Bay toward the Route 91 Harvest festival around 10:08 p.m. Sunday. [144]

Spanish officers ATTACK Catalan police amid explosive unrest

Spanish officers ATTACK Catalan police amid explosive unrest

October 1st

Violence erupts in the controversial independence referendum in Spain. [145]

Canadian police investigate car and knife attack as terrorism

Canadian police investigate car and knife attack as terrorism

October 1st

Edmonton, a car and knife attack on a police officer outside a football game and a high-speed chase of a moving van that left four people injured are being investigated as acts of terrorism, Canadian authorities said Sunday. [146]

September

Puerto Rico endured a day of punishing winds and life-threatening flooding

Puerto Rico endured a day of punishing winds and life-threatening flooding

21 Sept

from Hurricane Maria, which was the third hurricane to pummel the Caribbean in as many weeks. It may be without power for months. [147]

We messed up pilot holidays, says Ryanair

We messed up pilot holidays, says Ryanair

17 Sept

Ryanair cancelled 82 flights on Sunday after admitting it had "messed up" the planning of its pilots' holidays. The budget airline said on Saturday that it will cancel 40-50 flights every day for the next six weeks. Marketing officer Kenny Jacobs said affected customers with bookings up to 20 September had been informed. "We have messed up in the planning of pilot holidays and we're working hard to fix that," he said. Most of the cancellations are due to a backlog of staff leave which has seen large numbers of the airline's staff book holidays towards the end of the year. The airline is changing its holiday year, which currently runs from April to March, to run from January to December instead. Rynanair said the shift meant it had to allocate annual leave to pilots in September and October. The cancellations could affect up to 285,000 passengers, who will be offered alternative flights or refunds. [148]

A second man has been arrested by detectives investigating Friday's terrorist attack at Parsons Green, which left 30 people injured when a homemade bomb exploded during peak hour. The homemade bomb that partially exploded at the Parsons Green station was concealed in a bucket within a shopping bag, and went off about 8:20am as the train was carrying commuters from the suburbs, including many school children. Officials said the bomb was intended to do grave harm to commuters, and analysts said the injuries would have been far worse had the entire device exploded. The Islamic State group has claimed one of its units planted the bomb on the train. [149]

New protests have broken out in the US city of St Louis, where a white former policeman was found not guilty of murdering a black suspect in 2011. Hundreds have marched in the Missouri city for a second day, chanting "Black lives matter!" More than 33 protesters were arrested and 11 police officers were injured in Friday night's scuffles. Crowds marched through a shopping centre in the Des Peres suburb, blocking one major road. [150]

Hurricane Irma has killed at least 9 people so far

August

{{newsitem|Floods in Texas | 28 Aug| Catastrophic flooding is hitting Houston as tropical storm Harvey continues to stall over land. It has dumped as much as 26 inches (66cm) of rain in some counties in the past 72 hours and much more is expected until Friday. }

Thousands of people have fled their homes following two days of violence in a deepening crisis in the state of Rakhine in Myanmar. Members of the Muslim Rohingya minority escaped to the border with Bangladesh, but Bangladeshi border guards are turning them back. Violence erupted when Rohingya fighters attacked 30 police stations on Friday and clashes continued on Saturday. More than 100 people, mostly insurgents, have been reported killed.

Hurricane Harvey has made landfall in Texas with winds of up to 130mph (215 km/h) battering coastal areas.
The storm, which has even stronger gusts, is expected to be the worst to hit Texas for 12 years. Up to a 40in (1m) of rain is expected to fall. President Trump has signed a disaster proclamation for the state, which will free up federal aid for the worst-affected areas. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has warned of record flooding in multiple regions. The category four storm has already brought down trees in Corpus Christi and thousands of residents have boarded up their homes and fled. [153]

At least nine people, including children, have been killed after an air strike hit a residential area of Yemen's capital, Sanaa. Witnesses said two buildings in the south of the city, which is controlled by Houthi rebels, had been destroyed. Saudi-led forces have been fighting Shia Houthis - backed by Iran - for the last two years. Thousands of civilians have died. The country is on the brink of famine and facing a cholera outbreak. [154]

The latest wildfire to scorch the Canadian province of British Columbia (BC) has forced the evacuation of around 1,100 people. The blaze is about 20km (12 miles) east of Kelowna town in Okanagan Valley. So far no structures or homes are believed affected by the fire, which broke out on Thursday afternoon. More than one million hectares (10,000 square km) have burned in the province this wildfire season, making it the worst in BC's recorded history. There are over 150 wildfires currently burning across the western province. A state of emergency declared in the province on 7 July was recently extended to 1 September. [155]

Hurricane Harvey, powered by the Gulf of Mexico’s warm waters and poised to strike the United States as a major hurricane, swept toward Texas on Friday. High winds and dozens of inches of rain were expected to begin battering coastal and inland communities. [156]

Hong Kong upgraded the storm warning to the highest for the first time in five years and cancelled its stock exchange morning trading session as Severe Typhoon Hato drew closer to the financial centre. Hundreds of flights have been cancelled and schools and most businesses in the Asian financial hub closed. [157]

An earthquake measuring at least 4.0 magnitude hit the popular Italian tourist island of Ischia, off the coast of Naples, causing several buildings to collapse. One woman has died and seven people are missing following the quake, police have said. [158]

Dozens of civilians killed in Raqqa

Dozens of civilians killed in Raqqa

22 Aug

US-led coalition air strikes have killed dozens of civilians in the Syrian city of Raqqa over the past 24 hours, activists and state media say. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that 42 had died in attacks on areas held by so-called Islamic State. [159]

A falling tree has killed at least 13 people and injured 49 at a religious ceremony on the Portuguese island of Madeira.
A video shows the tree crashing down on a crowded square in a suburb of the main town, Funchal, spreading panic among people enjoying the festivities. Reports suggest the tree which fell was an oak that was about 200 years old.[160]

A falling tree has killed at least 13 people and injured 49 at a religious ceremony on the Portuguese island of Madeira.
A video shows the tree crashing down on a crowded square in a suburb of the main town, Funchal, spreading panic among people enjoying the festivities. Reports suggest the tree which fell was an oak that was about 200 years old.[162]

At least 179 people have been killed in a mudslide near Sierra Leone's capital, Freetown, the Red Cross says. A hillside in the Regent area collapsed early on Monday following heavy rains, leaving many houses covered in mud. A BBC reporter at the scene says many people may have been asleep when the mudslide occurred.[163]

Security forces in Burkina Faso have ended an operation against terrorists who attacked a Turkish cafe in the capital Ouagadougou Sunday that left 18 dead including two attackers, the communications minister Remis Dandjinou said Monday. In a press briefing he said searches of the neighborhood around the restaurant were still continuing. Dandjinou said there were several nationalities among the victims. [164]

{{newsitem| Monsoon floods ravage [[Nepal], India at least 175 people killed |14 Aug|At least 175 people have died, and thousands have fled their homes as monsoon floods swept across Nepal, India and Bangladesh. Three days of relentless downpours sparked flash floods and landslides that have killed at least 80 people in Nepal, 73 across northern and eastern India and 22 in Bangladesh. Al Jazeera's Subina Shreshtha, reporting from Janakpur in Nepal, said that at least six million people were affected by the floods in the country's southern plains known as Terai. [165]}}

Franklin weakened to a tropical storm after it made landfall in eastern Mexico early Thursday, the National Hurricane Center said. It hit the eastern coast as a hurricane, threatening to bring torrential rains and strong winds to a region prone to flash floods and mudslides. A few hours later, the Atlantic season's first hurricane was downgraded to a tropical storm, forecasters said.[166]

North Korea says a plan that could see it fire four missiles near the US territory of Guam will be ready in a matter of days.
State media said Hwasong-12 rockets would pass over Japan and land in the sea about 30km (17 miles) from Guam, if the plan was approved by Kim Jong-un.[167]

French police are hunting a driver who rammed a car into a group of soldiers in Paris early Wednesday morning have shot, wounded and arrested a man on a highway north of the city. France's counter-terror unit is investigating the attack, in a suburb of northwest Paris, which left six soldiers injured, three seriously, according to Paris police. The soldiers' injuries are not life-threatening. [http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/09/europe/paris-soldiers-hit-vehicle/index.html

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson tried to ease concerns that the U.S. was heading toward a military confrontation with North Korea after President Donald Trump rattled global markets with his warning that he could unleash “fire and fury” against Kim Jong Un’s regime. [168]

Wildfires in south-eastern France have forced the evacuation of 10,000 people overnight, officials say. Hundreds of firefighters have been deployed to battle the fires near Bormes-les-Mimosas, in the country's Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. France earlier asked its EU neighbours for more help fighting the fires. Some 4,000 hectares (15.4 sq miles) of land have burned along the Mediterranean coast, in the mountainous interior and on the island of Corsica. One of the worst fires is raging in an area near the popular resort of Saint-Tropez. [170]

Airline Avianca says it will stop flying to Venezuela from next month due to operational and security reasons. The Colombian company is the latest to suspend its flights to the South American country amid a growing economic and political crisis. Aeroméxico, Air Canada, Alitalia, Latam, Lufthansa and United Airlines have already stopped their flights. Avianca, which has operated in Venezuela for 60 years, says the move comes into effect on 16 August. The airline, one of the biggest in Latin America, said customers who had bought tickets for flights departing after that date would be reimbursed fully. Airlines still operating flights to Venezuela include Air France, Iberia, Air Europa and TAP, but Venezuelans have complained about the increasing difficulty of getting flights in and out of the country. [171]

Muslim leaders have lifted a boycott of a key holy site in East Jerusalem after Israel removed the last of the security measures which had led to uproar. They urged Palestinians to re-enter the compound on Thursday for the first time since the crisis erupted two weeks ago. The last remnants of Israel's recently installed security apparatus were taken away on Thursday morning. Palestinians had fiercely objected to the measures introduced after the killing of two Israeli policemen. They had refrained from entering the Old City complex known to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif and to Jews as the Temple Mount in protest over what they saw as an Israeli attempt to exert control over the contested site. [172]

Killer earthquake hits Turkey and Greece

Killer earthquake hits Turkey and Greece

21 Jul

At least two people are dead and 200 injured after an earthquake hammered a popular tourist spot in Turkey – registering a magnitude of up to 6.7 and sparking a tsunami. The earthquake's epicentre occurred close to the Turkish town of Bodrum and the Greek holiday island of Kos. [173]

Tourists and locals flee Adriatic fires

Tourists and locals flee Adriatic fires

19 Jul

Montenegro has appealed for international help to fight forest fires as neighbouring Croatia battles to stop flames reaching its second city, Split. Fires have raged along the Adriatic coast for days, prompting dozens of tourists and residents to flee the Lustica peninsula in Montenegro. A shopping centre in Split had to be evacuated as the flames grew nearer. Government ministers have headed to Split for an emergency meeting. The flames were whipped up by a storm late on Monday and some areas on the outskirts of Split were evacuated. Roads to the south of the city were reportedly cut off by the fires. Tourism officials in Croatia said no visitors to the region had been harmed and they expected the fires to be brought under full control as the winds decreased. [174]

Commuters in Istanbul faced quite a major challenge getting to work after torrential rainfall caused major flooding in the city and turning roads into rivers. Pedestrians were left to wade their way to dry land and the authorities urged people not to leave home if possible [175]

A rare snowfall in the Chilean capital Santiago has caused disruption and blackouts, leaving thousands of residents shivering in the dark. About 250,000 people were hit by power cuts, officials said, mostly caused by snow-laden trees falling on cables. One death was reported - of a worker trying to clear ice - and two other people were injured by a fallen power line, Chilean media said. Meteorologists say it was the heaviest snowfall in Santiago since 2007. It came as the city and surrounding region were enduring an unusually cold snap. As well as the power cuts, the weather has caused traffic disruption in the capital and several sporting fixtures have been postponed. Forecasters say lighter amounts of snow are still expected to fall. [176]

Two teenagers have been arrested after acid was thrown in people's faces in five attacks over one night in London. Two moped riders attacked people in a 90-minute spree in Islington, Stoke Newington and Hackney on Thursday, stealing mopeds in two of the attacks. An eyewitness said he heard a victim, who he believed was a delivery driver, "screaming in pain". One victim suffered "life-changing injuries". Police are looking at whether moped theft was the motive for the attacks. Officers said they were linking the attacks and boys aged 15 and 16 have been arrested on suspicion of robbery and causing grievous bodily harm. [177]

A two-hour storm unleashed 54mm (2.1in) of rain on Sunday night in Paris, the equivalent of 27 days of rainfall.
Weather services say 49.2mm fell in one hour, the French capital's heaviest July deluge on record.
Flooding closed 20 metro stations and three were still shut as commuters made their way to work on Monday morning. Parts of Switzerland were hit by violent winds and hail storms that also caused flooding at the weekend. Forecaster Patrick Galois said that radar images suggested the central-western regions of Poitou, Berry and the northern Limousin could easily top 100mm in a matter of hours. A dozen storm alerts were in force on Monday as the weather front moved east. [178]

A huge blaze broke out overnight at Camden Lock Market in north London. Seventy firefighters and 10 fire engines were sent to the site, which is a popular tourist attraction, London Fire Brigade (LFB) said. A fire officer at the scene said the fire began in a building containing a number of businesses.
It affected a small section of the area and many stalls and shops were "operating and welcoming visitors and customers as usual", the market said. London Ambulance Service was called in, but confirmed it had not treated any patients. Major fires have hit the sprawling market area twice before in recent years, in 2008 and 2014. [179]

A wharf in Rio de Janeiro where nearly a million African slaves are estimated to have landed has been declared a World Heritage site by the UN cultural organisation, Unesco. The Valongo wharf operated for three centuries and became the biggest entry point for African slaves in Brazil. Its remains were discovered during renovation work for the 2016 Olympics.[180]

A state of emergency has been declared by the Canadian province of British Columbia (BC) as it battles over 180 wildfires. The federal government says it is monitoring the situation closely and is ready to provide assistance upon request. CBC News reported that an estimated 7,000 people had been forced from their homes. The fires threaten several communities in BC's central interior region. [181]

Three car bombs exploded in the Syrian capital Damascus, state media reported, killing 8 people and wounding 12 in one of the blasts. It was the biggest attack in the city since a series of suicide attacks in March. Syrian government forces, which have defeated rebel fighters in several suburbs of Damascus over the last year, are currently battling insurgents in the Jobar and Ain Tarma areas on the capital's eastern outskirts. [182]

Trump travel ban comes into effect

Trump travel ban comes into effect

2 Jul

People from six mainly Muslim countries and all refugees now face tougher US entry due to President Donald Trump's controversial travel ban. t means people without "close" family or business relationships in the US could be denied visas and barred entry. Lawyers took up positions at US airports, offering free advice. But there was no sign of the chaos that affected travellers when the first version of the ban was brought in at a few hours' notice in January.
That is because the executive order does not affect people who already have valid visas or green cards. The Department of Homeland Security said it expected "business as usual at our ports of entry". The rules apply to people from Iran, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, as well as to all refugees. [183]

A vibrant animation telling stories of indigenous Australia will be projected on to the Sydney Opera House every night at sunset. The seven-minute show, beginning on Wednesday, will turn the works of five prominent indigenous artists into a permanent part of the city's skyline.
The show, Badu Gili, means "water light" in the language of the site's traditional owners, the Gadigal people. Organisers say it celebrates time-honoured stories with contemporary art. [184]]

June

At least seven people have been killed in Indian-administered Kashmir when the wire supporting a cable car snapped in the high-altitude tourist resort of Gulmarg, officials say. The cable car was sent crashing to the ground, killing everyone in it. Scores of people are reported to be trapped in other cable cars amid high winds. A rescue operation continues. The cable is reported to have snapped after a tree was blown over in the gales. The dead include two children. The cable-cars at Gulmarg are among the highest in the world. [185]

More than 120 people are missing after a landslide in Sichuan province in south-western China, state media say.
About 40 homes were destroyed in Xinmo village in Maoxian county, after the side of a mountain collapsed. Rescue teams are frantically searching for survivors trapped beneath rocks dislodged by hours of heavy rainfall. Five people are confirmed dead. Landslides are a regular danger in mountainous regions of China, especially during heavy rains.
In 2008, 87,000 people were killed when an earthquake struck Wenchuan county in Sichuan province. In Maoxian county itself, 37 tourists were killed when their coach was buried in a landslide caused by the earthquake. [186]

Airport excludes pesto from liquid ban

Airport excludes pesto from liquid ban

24 Jun

In an era of high-security air travel, many a passenger has fallen foul of the rules banning liquids on planes. But now an Italian airport has decided to waive the 100ml maximum limit - as long as the liquid is pesto. More than 500 jars have made it through since Genoa's Cristoforo Colombo airport launched the "Il pesto è buono" (Pesto is good) scheme on 1 June. The cost? A donation to Flying Angels, which flies sick children abroad for treatment. Pesto - a popular pasta sauce made with basil, cheese, and pine nuts - is a local speciality in Genoa. Tourists with pesto jars of up to 500g can ask for a special sticker in exchange for a €0.50 (£0.44; $0.55) charity donation - although the airport says many are donating more. [187]

Danger map reveals health threat zone

Danger map reveals health threat zone

24 Jun

South America is a hotbed of potential viruses that could be the next major threat to the world's health, according to "danger maps". The EcoHealth Alliance in New York looked at mammals, the viruses they harbour and how they come into contact with people. It revealed bats carry more potential threats than other mammals. The researchers hope the knowledge could be used to prevent the next HIV, Ebola or flu. Some of the most worrying infections have made the jump from animals to people - the world's largest Ebola outbreak seemed to start in bats, while HIV came from chimpanzees. [188]

Saudi Arabia says it has foiled a "terrorist action" against the Grand Mosque in Mecca - Islam's holiest site. A suicide bomber blew himself up when security forces surrounded the building he was in, the interior ministry says. The building collapsed, injuring 11 people, including police officers. Five other suspected militants have been taken into custody, officials say. Millions of Muslims from around the world have gathered in Mecca for the end of Ramadan. Saudi officials released no further details about the foiled attack. [189]

A Pakistani official says the death toll from twin bombings at a crowded market in the northwestern town of Parachinar has risen to 55, bringing the overall death toll from three separate attacks on Friday to 73. Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, a sectarian Sunni extremist group, claimed the bombings in Parachinar, a Shiite-dominated town. [190]

Iraqi forces say they have launched an assault on Mosul's Old City, the last district held by so-called Islamic State. Special forces are advancing on the district from the west and federal police are on the southern front, a statement said. The UN says as many as 100,000 civilians are believed to be trapped in the densely populated Old City. [191]

Three women have been killed in the Colombian capital, Bogotá, in what the authorities say was a terrorist attack. An explosion occurred at a shopping centre in the busy Zona Rosa area. Eleven other people were injured in the attack. Bogota's mayor Enrique Penalosa said that one of those who died was from France. The authorities say they believe the explosion was caused by a small bomb in a ladies toilet. [192]

Ukrainians have celebrated the introduction of visa-free travel to the European Union with special events.
President Petro Poroshenko hailed the "fall of the paper curtain" at a gathering in the capital Kiev. He also opened a symbolic visa-free door to Europe, and met Slovak President Andrej Kiska, at the Uzhgorod border checkpoint. However, Ukrainians who want to work in the EU still need to obtain a working visa. Travellers departing from Kiev's international airport were treated to music and dance. The visa-free scheme allows Ukrainians with a biometric passport to enter the Schengen area - including some non-EU areas such as Switzerland and Iceland, but not the UK or Ireland - without a visa for up to 90 days. [194]

Bomb blasts rocked Marawi City in the southern Philippines as the national flag was raised to mark independence day, almost three weeks after hundreds of Islamist militants overran the town and hunkered down with civilians as human shields. Rescue workers, soldiers and firemen sang the national anthem and listened to speeches as three OV-10 attack aircraft darted through the cloudy sky, taking it in turns to drop bombs on areas where fighters are still holed up. [195]

The Syrian army and Iran-backed militia forces have escalated attacks against a rebel-held part of the southern city of Deraa, a possible prelude to a large-scale campaign to wrest full control of the city. The intensive raids and bombing strikes mainly pounded the southern part of Deraa, strategically located on the border with Jordan and where the uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad erupted six years ago. [196]

A suicide bomber has struck a market in Iraq in a town near the Shia holy city of Karbala, killing at least 20 people. IS has long mounted a violent campaign against Iraqi Shia, denouncing them as heretics. The group has increased its attacks on civilians in big cities in Iraq as increasingly loses territory. Its main stronghold of Mosul is expected to be recaptured soon. [197]

Police in the US state of Florida say there have been "multiple fatalities" in a shooting in Orlando. The shooting happened early on Monday morning in the east of the city, the Orlando Sentinel newspaper reports. [198]

Hundreds of "Trump Free Speech Rally" demonstrators were confronted by a far larger gathering of counter protesters. The stand-off came amid tensions in the city over the fatal stabbing on a train of two men who tried to help teenagers apparently targeted by racial abuse. [199]

May

A powerful vehicle bomb has hit the diplomatic area of the Afghan capital, Kabul, killing at least 80 people and injuring 350. It struck near Zanbaq Square in the heavily fortified zone, with civilians said to be the main casualties. The morning rush-hour blast created a massive crater and blew out windows and doors hundreds of metres away. The Taliban have denied carrying out the attack. There has been no word so far from so-called Islamic State. [201]

Kenya has opened a major new railway between the port city of [Mombasa]] and the capital, Nairobi, 18 months early. President Uhuru Kenyatta said during the launch that the $3.2bn (£2.5bn) Chinese-funded line signalled a new chapter in the country. He warned that he would authorise the execution of vandals after four people were arrested damaging sections of a guardrail. It is Kenya's biggest infrastructure project since independence. Kenya has opened a major new railway between the port city of Mombasa and the capital, Nairobi18 months early.President Uhuru Kenyatta said during the launch that the $3.2bn (£2.5bn) Chinese-funded line signalled a new chapter in the country. He warned that he would authorise the execution of vandals after four people were arrested damaging sections of a guardrail. It is Kenya's biggest infrastructure project since independence. [202]

Cyclone Mora has hit the south-eastern coast of Bangladesh, killing at least five people. Hundreds of houses were fully or partly damaged, the officials said. Significant damage is reported in refugee camps housing Rohingya Muslims from neighbouring Myanmar. The authorities have moved hundreds of thousands of people to shelters. Cyclone Mora will move northwards past Chittagong, weakening as it moves further inland and downgrading from a Category One hurricane to a tropical storm, tracking website Tropical Storm Risk forecasts. Parts of eastern India are expected to be affected later on. [203]

Two car bomb attacks in the heart of the Iraqi capital Baghdad by so-called Islamic State have killed at least 26 people and wounded dozens, sources say. The first happened just after midnight (21:00 GMT on Monday) at an ice cream shop in the Karrada district, where a crowd had broken their Ramadan fasts. A few hours later there was a second blast near the Shuhada Bridge, about 6km (4 miles) to the north in Shawaka. IS said both bombings had targeted "gatherings" of Shia Muslims. The Sunni jihadist group considers them apostates subject to punishment by death. [204]

Sixteen people were killed when a severe thunderstorm hit Moscow and the region around the Russian capital on Monday, officials say. Hundreds of trees were toppled, and about 150 people needed medical help. It was the deadliest storm in the city for more than 100 years, Russia's Interfax news agency reported. The winds of up to 110 km/h (70 mph) were described by meteorologists as extremely rare for the city, and caused structural damage to buildings.
Electrical cables were reportedly damaged as Moscow was lashed with high winds, hail and torrential rain. The city's investigative committee said that "hurricane winds" had blown down trees across the city, killing five pedestrians. [205]

A state of emergency has been declared in the Canadian city of Montreal due to flooding caused by torrential rains and melting snow. The measure was declared on Sunday afternoon and will remain in place for 48 hours, city officials said. Across the province of Quebec, in Canada's east, nearly 1,900 homes have already been flooded across 126 towns and cities, authorities say. Some 1,200 troops have reportedly been deployed to help evacuate people. The emergency was declared in Montreal after three dikes gave way in the city's north. The flooding is not limited to Quebec, and unusually high rainfall has also caused flooding in the province of Ontario. Lake Ontario has reached a water level not seen since 1993 in southern Ontario, the Canadian Press news agency says. Warmer temperatures has also caused snow to melt in British Columbia in Canada's west, combining with the rain to cause flooding and mudslides. [207]

About 50,000 people in Hannover have been evacuated from their homes while experts defuse three British bombs dating from World War Two. The operation is the second largest of its kind carried out in Germany, and has affected around a tenth of the city's population. The buildings evacuated included seven care homes, a clinic and a Continental tyre plant. [208]

A 20-year-old Venezuelan protester died after being shot in the head, authorities said, taking fatalities from a month of anti-government unrest to at least 37 as the opposition geared up for more demonstrations. Another 717 people have been injured and 152 are still in jail from the hundreds rounded up in widespread unrest around the volatile South American OPEC nation of 30 million people, according to the office's latest tally. There has been violence and widespread looting this week in Valencia, a once-bustling industrial hub two hours from the capital by road. [209]

April

A sea of protesters swarmed in front of the White House on Saturday to voice displeasure with President Donald Trump's stance on the environment and demand that he rethink plans to reverse the climate change policies backed by his predecessor. The Peoples Climate March, the culmination of a string of Earth Week protests that began with last Saturday's March for Science, coincides with Trump's 100th day in office. [210]

Russian authorities have detained dozens of protesters at rallies demanding that President Vladimir Putin should not seek re-election next year. At least 30 people were reported to have been held in St Petersburg and more than 16 in the southern city of Kemerovo. Activists in some other cities were kept away from protests, reports said. [211]

Violence has erupted in Brazil at the end of the country's first general strike in more than 20 years. Buses and cars have been set on fire in Rio de Janeiro's city centre. Road blocks set up by activists were also ablaze and shops were vandalised. For most of the day the strike had been largely peaceful. Many people stayed at home and shops, schools and banks remained closed across the country. Unions called the strike in protest at proposed pension reforms. [212]

Three countries get first malaria vaccine

Three countries get first malaria vaccine

24 Apr

The world's first vaccine against malaria will be introduced in three countries - Ghana, Kenya and Malawi - starting in 2018. The RTS,S vaccine trains the immune system to attack the malaria parasite, which is spread by mosquito bites. The World Health Organization (WHO) said the jab had the potential to save tens of thousands of lives. But it is not yet clear if it will be feasible to use in the poorest parts of the world. The vaccine needs to be given four times - once a month for three months and then a fourth dose 18 months later. This has been achieved in tightly controlled and well-funded clinical trials, but it is not yet clear if it can be done in the "real-world" where access to health care is limited. Each country will decide how to run the vaccination pilots, but high-risk areas are likely to be prioritised. Despite huge progress, there are still 212 million new cases of malaria each year and 429,000 deaths. Africa is the hardest hit and most of the deaths are in children. [213]

A woman who was injured during a pro-government march in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, has died, ombudsman Tarek Saab said on Sunday. Ten people have been killed in pro- and anti-government demonstrations this month so far. Another 11 people died on Friday when a bakery was looted in Caracas. Tension has risen sharply in Venezuela following a controversial decision on 29 March by the country's Supreme Court to take over the powers of the opposition-dominated National Assembly. [214]

ught and famine, a top US army officer has said. General Thomas Waldhauser, head of US Africa Command, said there had been half a dozen attacks in the last month. About three million Somalis face food insecurity and a national disaster was declared last month. Piracy was rampant off the Somali coast until increased patrols by European naval forces contained the problem. Somalia is one of four countries in Africa and the Middle East identified by the United Nations as currently at risk of extreme hunger and famine. The humanitarian crisis is the result of drought that has been partly caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon which has affected east and southern Africa but all four countries are also suffering from conflict. [215]

The bomb was dropped on targets in Afghanistan Thursday. This is the first time this type of weapon has been used in battle, according to US officials. Officials said the target was an ISIS cave and tunnel complex and personnel in the Achin district of the Nangarhar province, a remote area in the country's east which borders Pakistan. [216]

At least 13 people have been killed in an explosion at a church in northern Egypt, state media say. The blast targeted the St George Coptic church in the city of Tanta, north of Cairo. A number of television channels said at least 40 people had been injured in the Palm Sunday attack. The cause of the explosion is not yet known but Egypt's Christian minority has often been targeted by Islamist militants in recent years. [217]

Three people were killed and more than a dozen injured on Sunday when police clashed with protesters during a by-election in Srinagar in India's disputed Kashmir region, an official said. Separatist factions in Kashmir had called for a boycott of the by-polls, resulting in heightened security and low voter turnout when the polling began. In Budgam district, police used tear gas to counter stone-pelting protesters, but was then forced to open fire, killing three people, a senior police official told Reuters. Overall, more than a dozen people were injured during the clashes across central Kashmir on Sunday, the official said. [218]

Landslides have killed at least 206 people in south-west Colombia and left many more injured, aid officials say. Hours of heavy rains overnight caused rivers to burst their banks, flooding homes with mud in Putumayo province. The Red Cross said that at least 220 were missing, and another 202 were injured. President Juan Manuel Santos, who travelled to the area, said troops had been deployed as part of a national emergency response. He declared a state of emergency in the region. Reuters news agency said more than 1,100 soldiers and police officers had joined the rescue effort. One army officer said the main local hospital was struggling to cope. [220]

At least 18 people were injured when a bonfire exploded at a carnival held in northern France. The blast occurred at the end of the Yellow Carnaval in Villepinte, north-east of Paris, on Saturday afternoon. Video posted on social media showed the bonfire blowing up seconds after being ignited, sending debris flying. A mother and her child are among those seriously injured and the town's mayor was also hurt, Le Parisien newspaper reported. Agence France-Presse said an initial investigation had been opened by prosecutors, but the cause of the explosion was not yet known. [221]

Demonstrators in Paraguay have set fire to the country's parliament during violent protests against a bill that would lift presidential term limits. One activist was killed by a blow to the head which the opposition blamed on a rubber bullet fired by police. Protesters were photographed smashing in windows of the congress building in the capital, Asuncion, on Friday night and setting fire to the interior. [222]

At least 11 people are feared dead after a landslide triggered by heavy rain in Indonesia's East Java province. The landslide struck Banaran village in Ponorogo district early on Saturday, damaging 30 homes, the national disaster agency said. Security forces and emergency teams are clearing the mud to look for victims. Residents are being evacuated. Saturday's landslide hit as people were harvesting ginger at the foot of a hill, officials said. Floods and landslides triggered by heavy seasonal rains are common in Indonesia. Many people in the 17,000 islands that make up Indonesia live in mountainous areas or near fertile flood plains. [223]

March

Cyclone Debbie is likely to have damaged Australia's already beleaguered Great Barrier Reef, experts have said. The cyclone struck the Queensland coast as a category four storm, carrying winds of up to 263km/h (163 mph). Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said some damage on land was not as widespread as first anticipated. Marine experts said they expected to find damage to the reef's ecosystem, although it would not rival widespread destruction caused by coral bleaching. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority said it had not yet been able to assess potential damage caused by the storm. [224]

Measles is spreading across Europe wherever immunisation coverage has dropped, the World Health Organization is warning. The largest outbreaks are being seen in Italy and Romania. In the first month of this year, Italy reported more than 200 cases. Romania has reported more than 3,400 cases and 17 deaths since January 2016. Measles is highly contagious. Travel patterns mean no person or country is beyond its reach, says the WHO. For good protection, it's recommended that at least 95% of the population is vaccinated against the disease. [225]

Four people have drowned after the river Piura burst its banks in the north of Peru and caused extensive flooding. More than 500 people were evacuated from rooftops in the town of Catacaos after flood water levels rose to 1.80m (5ft 9in). Hundreds of residents are still waiting to be taken to safety, local media reports. The Piura river flooded after 15 hours of heavy rains on the weekend. Gen Jorge Chavez of the National Emergency Operations Centre (COEN) said the rains had been the heaviest in almost a decade. [226]

Six people - two police officers and four civilians - have been killed in twin bombings in north-eastern Bangladesh, officials say. The blasts in Sylhet occurred near an apartment building where commandoes have been trying to flush out a group of suspected Islamist militants. Earlier many civilians were evacuated from the block of flats. The suspects have refused to surrender. Dozens of people were injured in the twin explosions on Saturday [227]

Police in Belarus have arrested hundreds of people during protests against a so-called "social parasites" tax on the under-employed. Thousands defied a ban to protest, taking to the streets of Minsk and other cities. Demonstrators shouted "Fascists!" at riot police. There have been weeks of sporadic protests against a $230 (£185) levy on those unemployed for six months. [228]

Laptop ban on flights comes into effect

Laptop ban on flights comes into effect

25 Mar

A ban on laptops and tablets in cabin baggage on flights from Turkey and some countries in the Middle East and North Africa to the US and UK has come into effect. Officials say devices "larger than a smartphone" must travel in the hold because of an increased risk that they could contain explosives. At least one airline is allowing devices to be used up until boarding. The US ban covers eight countries, while the UK restrictions apply to six. Nine airlines from eight countries - Turkey, Morocco, Jordan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait - are affected by the US ban. They operate about 50 flights a day to the US. [229]

The Syrian army and rebels, including jihadist groups, fought in the capital Damascus and north of Hama on Thursday after the insurgents' biggest offensive for months, underscoring the bleak prospects for peace talks which resume later in the day. The offensive seems unlikely to reverse 18 months of steady military gains by the government, culminating in December's capture of the rebel enclave in Aleppo, but it has shown the army's difficulty in defending many fronts simultaneously. Increased fighting in recent weeks despite a ceasefire brokered in December by Russia and Turkey casts further doubt on peacemaking efforts in Geneva, where talks resume on Thursday after making little progress in recent rounds. [230]

Some 20,000 people are being evacuated after a series of explosions at a massive arms depot in eastern Ukraine described by officials as sabotage.
The base in Balakliya, near Kharkiv, is around 100km (60 miles) from fighting against Russian-backed separatists. The dump is used to store thousands of tonnes of ammunition including missiles and artillery weapons.
Rescue teams are overseeing a huge evacuation effort for people living in the city and nearby villages.
The total area of the dump spans more than 350 hectares, the military says. [231]

The US government has said it will appeal against a ruling by a judge in Maryland that has blocked President Donald Trump's latest travel ban. Department of Justice officials have filed legal notices announcing their intention to challenge the block. The 6 March order placed a 90-day ban on people from six mainly Muslim nations and a longer ban on refugees. But judges in Maryland and Hawaii questioned the legality of the ban, which critics say is discriminatory. Their blocking rulings earlier this week were warmly welcomed by civil liberties groups and rights campaigners. [234]

The bodies of two US tourists have been located in Alberta, Canada, after they were caught in an avalanche in the Banff National Park. The bodies were recovered on Friday morning at around 10:30 (16:30 GMT), Parks Canada said. The two tourists, who came from Boston, were caught in the avalanche on either Saturday or Sunday. [235]

At least 48 people have been killed in a landslide at a vast rubbish dump on the outskirts of Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, officials say. They say dozens of people are still missing since the landslide on Saturday night at the Koshe landfill. A resident said 150 people were there at the time. A number of makeshift houses are now buried under tonnes of waste. The area has been a dumping ground for Addis Ababa's rubbish for more than five decades. [236]

Ground staff at Berlin's two main airports have kicked off a 25-hour strike, which is expected to force the cancellation of more than 650 flights. The disruption at the Tegel and Schoenefeld airports began at 4 am (0300 GMT) on Monday morning. Ground crews have already walked out several times over the past few weeks amid a tense dispute over pay. On Friday, a similar strike led to nearly 700 flights being grounded at the two airports.[237]

The Netherlands has warned its citizens over travel to Turkey as a row between the countries shows no sign of abating. Germany, Austria and the Netherlands blocked Turkish attempts to hold rallies in those countries. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed retaliation, accusing them of "Nazism". On Monday, the Dutch foreign ministry issued a new travel warning, urging its citizens in Turkey to take care and noting the new "diplomatic tensions". The warning to "avoid gatherings and crowded places" came as Turkey's foreign ministry lodged a formal protest with the Dutch envoy. [238]

Dutch riot police have clashed with protesters in Rotterdam, amid a diplomatic row that saw a Turkish minister escorted out of the country. Water cannon and police on horseback were used to disperse about 1,000 people outside the Turkish consulate. The minister was trying to win support among expatriates for a referendum on expanding Turkish presidential powers. The Dutch government says such rallies would stoke tensions days before the Netherlands' general election. [239]

A twin bomb attack in Syria's capital, Damascus, has killed 40 Iraqis and wounded 120, Iraq's government says.
The attack was near the Bab al-Saghir cemetery, which houses Shia mausoleums, with those targeted said to be pilgrims arriving by bus. Sunni militants often target Shias but attacks in the capital are uncommon. A nationwide truce brokered by Russia, Turkey and Iran took effect on 30 December after talks in Kazakhstan, but sporadic attacks continue.[240]

Nigeria has closed its main airport in the capital, Abuja, for six weeks to allow badly needed repairs to be carried out. It comes after airlines threatened to stop flying there because of safety concerns over the state of the runway. From now, those wishing to travel to Abuja are being encouraged to instead fly to the northern city of Kaduna, 190km (120 miles) away. But all but one international airline has refused to fly there. Ethiopian Airlines is currently the only company offering international flights to Kaduna, which has been hit recently by a spate of kidnappings. The government has set up a dedicated Abuja Airport Closure website, where passengers can book free bus tickets for the two-hour journey by road. [241]

Countries targeted under a new US travel ban passed by President Donald Trump have attacked the move, along with the United Nations. On Monday, President Trump signed a new executive order placing a 90-day ban on people from six mainly Muslim nations. The order was presented as a means to strengthen US national security against terror threats. On Tuesday however, two of the countries, Sudan and Somalia, said the move was unjustified. The directive, which includes a 120-day ban on all refugees, takes effect on 16 March. It follows a previous order, which was blocked by a federal court, that sparked confusion at airports and mass protests. [[242]]

The death toll from an attack on a military hospital in Kabul by gunmen dressed as medics has risen to 49 with dozens wounded, a senior health official said on Thursday. Salim Rassouli, director of Kabul hospitals, said 49 people had been killed in the attack on the Sardar Mohammad Khan military hospital on Wednesday, with at least 63 wounded. Some uncertainty remained over the exact figure and one security official said more than 90 people had been wounded. Earlier estimates had put the number of dead at more than 30 with 50 wounded. Gunmen went through the 400-bed hospital, shooting doctors, patients and visitors and battling security forces for several hours in a sophisticated operation claimed by Islamic State. Survivors told of barricading themselves in hospital rooms to escape the gunmen who were armed with automatic weapons and hand grenades and who began their attack after a suicide bomber blew himself. [243]

The new executive order bans immigration from six Muslim-majority countries, dropping Iraq from January's previous order, and reinstates a temporary blanket ban on all refugees. The new travel ban comes six weeks after Trump's original executive order caused chaos at airports nationwide before it was blocked by federal courts. It removes out language in the original order that indefinitely banned Syrian refugees and called for prioritizing the admission of refugees who are religious minorities in their home countries. That provision drew criticism of a religious test for entry and would have prioritized Christians over Muslims fleeing war-torn countries in the Middle East.[244]

Somalia's Prime Minister, Hassan Ali Haire, says 110 people have died from hunger in a single region in the past 48 hours amid a severe drought. The figure for the south-western Bay region is the first official death toll announced during the crisis. The full impact of the drought on the country is still unknown. Humanitarian groups fear a full-blown famine will follow. Currently, almost three million people in Somalia face food insecurity. Local news outlet Alldhacdo reported dozens of deaths due to cholera in the town of Awdinle, also in the Bay region. The disease is often spread due to lack of clean drinking water. [245]

February

Rainstorms and mudslides leave 4 million people in Santiago-Chile without clean drinking water

Rainstorms and mudslides leave 4 million people in Santiago-Chile without clean drinking water

23 Feb

Rainstorms and landslides in Chile have contaminated a major river forcing the authorities to cut off drinking water to at least four million people in the capital, Santiago. Officials said the water supply from the Maipo river would be cut to most of the city until the water flowed clear. At least three people have been killed and 19 are missing as rivers overflowed and bridges were washed away. [246]

Soldiers reportedly chased the driver before he detonated the explosives."We received information of the car bomb and we pursued it, but he blew up while we were chasing him," [a] security officer said. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the explosion. In the past, al-Shabab has taken responsibility for blasts and gun attacks in the capital. [247]

Scientists are pondering the possibilities after this week’s announcement: the discovery of seven worlds orbiting a small, cool star some 40 light-years away, all of them in the ballpark of our home planet in terms of their heft (mass) and size (diameter). Three of the planets reside in the “habitable zone” around their star, TRAPPIST-1, where calculations suggest that conditions might be right for liquid water to exist on their surfaces—though follow-up observations are needed to be sure. [248]

US-backed Iraqi security forces in Mosul have stormed the city's airport and a nearby military base

US-backed Iraqi security forces in Mosul have stormed the city's airport and a nearby military base

22 Feb

Counterterrorism service (CTS) troops and elite interior ministry units known as Rapid Response forces descended on the airport early on Thursday and the nearby Ghazlani military complex, CTS spokesman Sabah al-Numan told state TV. [249]

Several hundred migrants have stormed a six-metre (20 ft) security fence that separates Morocco from Ceuta, a Spanish territory in North Africa. Police said security cameras showed around 600 migrants, some with shears and clubs, breaking through one of the gates. More than 300 reportedly made it across the razor wire barrier. Ceuta and Melilla, another Spanish territory in North Africa, have the EU's only land borders with Africa. As a result, they are popular crossing points for migrants hoping to reach a new life in Europe. [250]

At least 48 people have been killed in Baghdad in the third blast in the Iraqi capital in three days, security and medical sources say. A car packed with explosives blew up near car dealerships in the Shia area of Bayaa in the south of the city. More than 50 people were injured. The Islamic State (IS) group claimed the attack, saying it targeted "a gathering of Shias". At least 24 people were killed in other attacks on Tuesday and Wednesday. Baghdad saw a wave of deadly suicide attacks by IS in the first few days of 2017, but the number had dropped until recently. [251]

Two teenage boys are among four French snowboarders killed in an avalanche at the ski resort of Tignes in France. The snowboarders, led by an instructor, died when the wall of snow swept through an off-piste area just after 10:30 local time (09:30 GMT) on Monday. It had been feared more people had been caught up in the disaster. But Albertville Deputy Prefect Nicolas Martrenchard later told Agence France-Presse that "the definitive death toll is four victims". [252]

Police in Democratic Republic of Congo launched an assault on the residence of the leader of a separatist religious sect in Kinshasa early on Tuesday and fired live ammunition and tear gas at his supporters. Violence has surged across Congo in recent weeks after President Joseph Kabila refused to step down when his constitutional mandate expired in December, raising fears the country could slide back into civil war. Police have clashed with BDK members several times in the past few weeks in their native Kongo Central province in the southwest, but the spread of violence to Kinshasa, several hundred kilometers (miles) away, marks a serious escalation. [253]

At least 17 people have been killed in a stampede at a football stadium in the northern Angolan city of Uige, local officials say. Hundreds more were reported to have been injured when supporters stormed the gates after failing to gain entry. Some of those who fell became trapped and suffocated at the venue on Friday, a medical official said. Witnesses said the crowd trying to gain access would have taken the stadium past its 8,000 capacity. [254]

Rural areas of Australia's New South Wales (NSW) state have been evacuated as wildfires rage across the state, threatening homes and closing roads. Some 97 fires were burning across the state, with 37 uncontained, the Rural Fire Service said. One person had been flown to hospital in Sydney after suffering burns, the authorities said. A heatwave has seen temperatures in some areas hit records while fast winds from the desert were fanning flames. More than 2,000 firefighters, many of them volunteers, were battling the fires. [255]

Several rockets have hit the high security Green Zone in Iraq's capital, Baghdad, hours after clashes at a protest left at least five dead. There were no immediate reports of casualties in the Green Zone, which houses government buildings and foreign embassies in Baghdad. Earlier on Saturday, thousands of protesters, demanding electoral reform, tried to storm the area. Police fired tear gas. At least 200 people are reported to be hurt. The protesters, mostly supporters of the Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, want changes to the electoral commission that oversees elections. [256]

At least 70,000 people in the Greek city of Thessaloniki are being evacuated so that a 500lb World War Two bomb can be defused, officials say. It is thought to be one of the largest wartime bombs to be found in urban Greece in addition to being one of the largest mass evacuations. The bomb was discovered during road works last week and is due to be disposed of on Sunday. Officials say it is too degraded to tell if it is German or an Allied bomb. Residents within a radius of about 2km (1.2 miles) of the bomb will be compelled to evacuate the area between now and Sunday morning, security officials have said. [257]

Kenya's president has declared the drought, which has affected as much as half the country, a national disaster. Uhuru Kenyatta appealed for international aid and said the government would increase food handouts to the most needy communities. Kenya's Red Cross says 2.7 million people face starvation if more help is not provided. Other countries in the region have also been hit by the drought, blamed on last year's El Nino weather phenomenon. In Somalia, nearly half the population is suffering from food shortages and the UN says there is a risk of famine in several parts of the country. During the last drought on this scale in 2011, famine killed about 250,000 Somalis. [258]

Indonesian Sinabung volcano erupts seven times in less than 24 hours

Indonesian Sinabung volcano erupts seven times in less than 24 hours

5 Feb

The ash spewed from the volcano was carried by winds to Berastagi, a tourist town in the Karo highlands south-east of the volcano. [259]

Protests in Romenia

Protests in Romenia

5 Feb

Massive rallies were held across the nation on Sunday, including at Victory Square in the capital of Bucharest. [260]

January

Trump's travel ban

Trump's travel ban

31 Jan

World leaders and prominent figures have blasted US President Donald Trump's temporary ban on citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States as divisive, illegal, insulting and discriminatory. Trump signed an executive order Friday barring citizens from Syria, Iraq, Iran, Yemen, Libya, Somalia and Sudan from entering the country for 90 days and suspended the admission of all refugees for 120 days. The order indefinitely bans entry of those fleeing from war-torn Syria. [https://cnn.com

Ukrainian officials are preparing for a possible evacuation of the eastern frontline town of Avdiivka amid renewed fighting with pro-Russian rebels. If evacuation takes place, officials say up to 8,000 people could be removed each day from the government-held town, which has no water or electricity. The Kiev government said seven of its soldiers died in clashes on Sunday and Monday, and fighting is continuing. Each side blames the other for the upsurge in violence. It erupted despite an attempt to renew a ceasefire last month. Ukrainian forces say the outbreak began when rebels launched an attack on Avdiivka, which borders land controlled by the separatists. [261]

Residents and emergency services have been fighting the worst wildfire in Chile's modern history. A series of fast-spreading fires, mostly in Chile's central region, have forced thousands from their homes, and one town, Santa Olga, has been completely destroyed. [262]

Rescuers working through the night pulled five more bodies from the wreck of a hotel in central Italy that was razed by an avalanche last week, bringing the death toll to 14, the national fire brigade said on Tuesday. The latest bodies - three men and two women - were recovered hours before families of victims were due to hold the first funerals of those killed in the avalanche. Eleven people so far have been rescued from in and around the hotel in the Gran Sasso national park, some of them surviving for two days under ice and rubble. But 15 people are still missing after a wall of snow crashed into the four-storey building last Wednesday, hours after earthquakes shook the region. [263]

At least four soldiers were killed and five wounded on Tuesday when a roadside bomb that Islamist insurgents said they planted exploded outside a military camp in a town near Mogadishu, officials said. The blast in Afgoye, about 30 km (18 miles) southwest of the capital, took place a day after the al Shabaab group carried out a raid in the same town that was repulsed by government troops. [264]

Thousands of UK tourists are being returned from The Gambia after the Foreign Office issued new travel advice amid a state of emergency. Also tourists from other countries have or are in process of being evavuated from the area. [265]

Catastrophe in central Italy on day of four big quakes

Catastrophe in central Italy on day of four big quakes

18 Jan

The president of Italy's Marche region has talked of a "catastrophe" and appealed for aid as four quakes above magnitude 5 struck in one day. The Lazio region was also affected on Wednesday and the tremors were felt in the capital, Rome. [266]

Much of Europe continues to be hit by icy weather with strong winds and powerful storms causing traffic chaos, power cuts and travel delays. Electricity supplies to nearly 350,000 homes in France were temporarily cut, while severe flood warnings are in place on England's east coast. As Germany prepares for more heavy snow, forecasters say the worst of the weather is heading eastwards. Freezing conditions continue in the Balkans and Turkey. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said the cold weather was responsible for countless road accidents and school closures in addition to cancelled flights. Some countries are suffering some of the heaviest snowfall in many years, with the Danube river and Bosporus sea strait closed to shipping. [267]

Afghan security officials began investigating Tuesday's attacks in the capital Kabul and the southern city of Kandahar as the death toll climbed to over 50, including five diplomats from the United Arab Emirates. The Ministry of the Interior raised the death toll from the Kabul attack to 38, with 86 wounded, while 13 people were confirmed dead in Kandahar, where the diplomats were killed while on a visit to open an orphanage. The violence highlights the precarious security situation in Afghanistan, which has seen a steady increase in attacks since international troops ended combat operations in 2014, with record numbers of civilian casualties. [268]

Chile's health authorities have warned people to be wary of an increasing number of bats appearing in homes across the country. The Institute for Public Health said it had been sent 70 bats within the first week of January, three of which tested positive for rabies. It said that while bats are active in spring and summer, there seemed to be more this January due to a heat wave. Health officials said their presence in houses was "potentially risky". There are 11 species of bats in Chile, some of which live very close to humans, the Institute of Health said in a statement [in Spanish] on its website. [269]

Five people have been shot dead by a gunman at Fort Lauderdale airport in Florida, officials say. It happened at the baggage claim area in Terminal 2, just before 1300 local time (1800 GMT), the airport confirmed. Eight people were injured. The gunman, believed to be an Iraq war veteran, was taken into custody. Hundreds of people were standing on the tarmac outside the terminal as dozens of police cars and ambulances rushed to the scene. Fort Lauderdale is a major tourist hub in the greater Miami area that typically sees an average of 80,000-100,000 passengers every day. Nearby Miami International Airport announced that "extra security measures" had been put in place "out of an abundance of caution". [270]

At least 35 people have been killed in a suicide car bomb attack in a busy square in Iraq's capital, Baghdad, security and medical sources say. Sixty-one other people were injured by the blast in the predominantly Shia Muslim eastern district of Sadr City. Another car bomb later exploded in the car park of the nearby Al-Kindi hospital, killing three people. The jihadist group Islamic State said it carried out both attacks, targeting a "gathering of Shia" in the first. [271]

A large fire broke out in the coastal Chilean city of Valparaiso on Monday evening, burning at least 100 homes, prompting the evacuation of about 400 people and sending plumes of smoke high in the air. Chilean Interior Minister Mahmud Aleuy said in televised remarks that 19 people had been slightly injured, including 16 suffering from respiratory issues. Power was initially cut to about 47,000 customers in the region, but had been restored to all but 350, he said. Dozens of fire brigades from Valparaiso and neighboring municipalities were deployed to fight the blaze, and investigators had been sent in to determine the cause of the fire, according to the government.

A gunman opened fire in Reina nightclub at about 01:30 local time (22:30 GMT), as revellers marked the new year. At least 69 people were being treated in hospital, the minister added. Four were said to be in a serious condition. [272]

December

There have been long queues outside many banks in India as people tried to deposit discontinued banknotes ahead of a deadline that has now passed. An estimated 40% of cash dispensers are empty, meaning people are unable to withdraw new notes to replace the old ones they have handed in. There has been widespread disruption since Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in November that 500 and 1,000 rupee notes would no longer be legal. The move was meant to curb corruption. It has divided opinion, especially over how the ban was implemented. Early last month the government scrapped the 500 and 1000 rupee notes to crack down on undeclared money and fake cash. Deadlines for spending the notes or swapping them for new currency have already passed. [273]

Fighting between government and rebel forces has been reported in parts of Syria despite a nationwide truce coming into force early on Friday. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, said there had been fierce clashes and air strikes in northern Hama province. It added that rebel-held Wadi Barada near Damascus was also bombarded. But the military denied doing so. [274]

Israel has issued a warning of imminent "terrorist attacks" on tourists in India, advising its citizens to avoid public places during the New Year celebrations. A statement from the Counter-Terrorism Bureau urged particular caution in the south-west of India. It said travellers should shun crowded areas like beach parties, clubs, and markets. India is a popular tourist destination for Israelis. Young visitors from Israel often travel to areas like Goa to relax after completing their compulsory military service. In a unusual move, the warning was published on Friday evening in Israel, after the start of the Jewish Sabbath when government offices close for business. [275]

At least 50 people have died and thousands have been left homeless after severe flooding in the south-west of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Torrential rain caused the Kalamu river, which flows through the city of Boma, to burst its banks on Tuesday. The bodies of some of the victims had ended up in neighbouring Angola, after being carried away by the surge, a local governor said. Locals said that some areas of the city were buried in up to a metre of mud. [276]

Police in Colombia say the number of people kidnapped has fallen 92% since 2000. The head of the counter-kidnapping police force, Fernando Murillo, said 188 people had been abducted in 2016. Colombia was for years the world's kidnapping hotspot with human rights groups estimating that almost 33,000 people have been seized since 1970. A peace deal with Colombia's main rebel group and improved security have led to the "historic shift", police said. Gen Murillo said that the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) had not kidnapped a single person in 2016. The Farc signed a peace deal with the government in November ending 52 years of armed conflict. [277]

An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.8 struck 29 km (18 miles) west south west of Hawthorne, Nevada, in the United States on Wednesday, the United States Geological Survey said. The quake's depth was about 19 km, according to the USGS website, which also reported an aftershock of magnitude 5.7, given at a depth of 0.0 km. [278]

At least 1,500 garment workers in Bangladesh have been sacked after a week of protests over pay, say police. Dozens of factories supplying major Western brands were forced to close after a mass walkout and subsequent demonstrations in the Ashulia district. Police said factories opened on Tuesday with many now back at work, but they also detained several labour leaders. [279]

A bomb attack targeted a member of Afghanistan's parliament in the capital, Kabul, on Wednesday, wounding him and several other people, officials said. Fakori Behishti, a member of parliament from Bamyan province, and his son were wounded in the blast, an official with the parliament's security department said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, which destroyed the vehicle in which Behishti was traveling, badly damaged other vehicles and shattered the windows of nearby shops. Last week, another member of parliament was targeted by a suicide bomber who killed seven people. The member of parliament survived. [280]

German police are investigating a "probable terrorist attack" after a man ploughed a lorry into a Christmas market in the heart of Berlin, killing 12 people and injuring 48. The driver, reportedly a Pakistani asylum seeker who entered Germany last year, is being questioned. "We have to assume this was a terrorist attack", said German Chancellor Angela Merkel in a short statement on Tuesday. [281]

Pakistan's Senate has recommended scrapping the country's 5,000 rupee ($48; £38.50) banknote, despite government opposition. A resolution, which is not binding, has called for the government to remove the notes to "reduce illicit money flow". Two months ago, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi surprised the country by scrapping 1,000 rupee and 500 rupee notes overnight, The move led to acute currency shortages in India. [282]

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro says his decision to scrap the nation's most-used banknote has allowed it to triumph over its enemies. The withdrawal of the 100-bolivar note has prompted protests and looting in several states as the supply of ready cash rapidly ran out. But Mr Maduro said taking millions of notes out of circulation had smashed the black market. He has, however, postponed the withdrawal until early January. Nevertheless, some businesses were reportedly still refusing to accept the 100-bolivar notes, even though they remain legal tender until the new year. [283]

The Syrian army is calling on the last remaining rebels to leave eastern districts of Aleppo, as the evacuation of their besieged enclave continues. Soldiers reportedly broadcast messages by loudspeaker on Tuesday, warning that they would enter the areas on Tuesday. But one rebel official said the fighters would only leave once all civilians who wanted to had done so. The Red Cross says 25,000 people have been evacuated since a ceasefire deal halted the army's offensive a week ago. It is not known exactly how many are still waiting to leave eastern Aleppo, but the UN special envoy to Syria estimated on Thursday that about 40,000 civilians and 10,000 rebels were there. [285]

A suspected car bomb in Turkey has killed 13 soldiers aboard a bus and wounded 48 more, the Turkish army says. The blast destroyed a bus carrying soldiers who had been allowed to visit a local market. An army spokesman said civilians may also have been injured. Images from the scene showed the bus reduced to a smouldering wreck with a massive hole punched in one side. The explosion comes a week after 44 people were killed by a bomb attack in Istanbul claimed by Kurdish militants. [286]

Rebel sources said a new truce had been in effect from 03:00GMT and evacuations would take place early on Thursday.
Sources from the Syrian military, the pro-government Hezbollah and Russian media said preparations were under way. One convoy of ambulances did try to leave but was shot at and had to turn back, rebel sources said. Rebel fighters and civilians had been due to leave the city early on Wednesday, but a ceasefire collapsed. [287]

A suicide car bomb exploded on Thursday at a checkpoint near Somalia's national theater in the capital Mogadishu, killing the bomber, police said. There was no immediate word on whether anybody else was killed or injured in the blast, which witnesses said had been followed by gunfire. The national theater stands about 500 meters (yards) away from the presidential palace. [288]

Police said they had arrested six people in anti-terrorism raids across central England and London on Monday, with bomb disposal officers later dispatched as officers carried out searches. Detectives detained four men from Derby and another in Burton upon Trent in central England while a woman was also arrested in London on suspicion of preparing an act of terrorism. BBC News

A bomb explosion in the Coptic Christian cathedral complex in the Egyptian capital Cairo has killed at least 25 people, officials say.
Dozens of others were injured in the blast in a chapel adjoining St Mark's cathedral during a Sunday service. BBC News

A twin bomb attack on police officers outside a football stadium in Turkey's largest city, Istanbul, has killed 38 people and injured many more. A car bomb hit a police vehicle and a suicide bomber detonated a suicide vest in quick succession late on Saturday. BBC News

Rio Proposes Tax for Tourists to Help Them When They Are Mugged

Rio Proposes Tax for Tourists to Help Them When They Are Mugged

9 Dec

The mayor elect of Rio de Janeiro is promoting a new idea to bolster tourism in his crime plagued city, levying a new tax on tourists, then using the proceeds to reimburse visitors who are mugged. New York Times

There were no survivors after a plane carrying 47 people crashed into a mountain in northern Pakistan on Wednesday, the airline's chairman said, as recovery operations continued late into the night at the remote crash site. The military said 40 bodies had been recovered and rescue efforts involved about 500 soldiers, doctors and paramedics. The bodies were shifted to the Ayub Medical Center in nearby Abbottabad, about 20km (12 miles) away. Reuters

Nearly 100 people were killed and hundreds injured in Indonesia on Wednesday when a strong earthquake hit its Aceh province and rescuers used earth movers and bare hands to search for survivors in scores of toppled buildings. The Aceh provincial government said in a statement 93 people had died and more than 500 were injured, many seriously. Reuters

An equipment failure temporarily halted all rail traffic on Wednesday at the Gare du Nord station in Paris, including the international Eurostar and Thalys train links, the SNCF state rail company said. Traffic gradually began returning to normal more than two hours after being affected by "an electrical problem," the spokesman said. Reuters

Floods brought by torrential rain since late November have killed at least 13 people in central Vietnam while more heavy rain is expected in coming days, the government and state media said on Sunday. Six people have died in floods in Binh Dinh province since Thursday and another four were killed in Quang Ngai province, while more than 10,000 homes in the two provinces were submerged, the government said. Reuters

A gunman has taken hostage about half a dozen people at a travel agency in southern Paris in what appears to be a robbery, a police source said on Friday. Armed police are on the scene, the source said, adding that the incident did not appear to be terrorism linked. The travel agency, which is used in particular by Asian customers who deal in cash transactions, has previously been held up, the source added. Reuters

November

Up to 16,000 civilians have been displaced by the Syrian government's advance into besieged rebel-held areas of the city of Aleppo, the UN says. Humanitarian chief Stephen O'Brien said thousands more were likely to flee if the fighting continued to spread and intensify in the coming days. He expressed concern about their fate, calling the situation deeply alarming. Troops and militiamen have retaken more than a third of the rebel-held eastern half of Aleppo since the weekend. Overnight, at least 18 people were killed in government air strikes on the remaining rebel-held areas, including 12 in the Shaar district near the new northern frontline, according to a UK-based monitoring group. BBC

Mandatory evacuations are under way in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, after wildfires set many houses and a hotel ablaze. The fires also threatened Dollywood, a theme park owned by the county music icon and actress Dolly Parton, and an aquarium housing thousands of animals. There are fears that a storm system approaching the area will fan the flames, and that the forecast rain will not be enough to quell them. Several southern states are battling wildfires after months of drought. The wildfires, in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, are reportedly growing increasingly unpredictable and dangerous. The Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge has evacuated guests from some of its properties, but so far no structures have been damaged, a spokesperson said. BBC

A number of people are dead or missing in Costa Rica after Hurricane Otto made landfall as a Category Two storm. Otto, the southernmost hurricane on record to hit Central America, struck a sparsely-populated area of southern Nicaragua on Thursday. Neighbouring Costa Rica had ordered 4,000 people from the Caribbean coast. At about the same time the storm hit, a powerful earthquake shook Nicaragua and El Salvador, briefly triggering a tsunami alert. The 7.0 magnitude quake in the Pacific Ocean was about 120km (75 miles) off the coast of El Salvador. There were no reports of damage or casualties but residents were initially advised to evacuate coastal areas. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center later said the threat had passed. Media in Nicaragua said one woman died of a heart attack after hearing the tsunami warning. Meanwhile, in Costa Rica, president Luis Guillermo Solis said an unknown number were dead or missing after the hurricane. The country had not been directly hit by a hurricane since records began in 1851. BBC

Archaeologists in Egypt have unearthed what they describe as a city that dates back more than 5,000 years, containing houses, tools, pottery and huge graves. It lies by the River Nile, close to the Temple of Seti the First in Abydos. Experts say the size of the 15 newly discovered graves indicates the high social standing of those buried. It is believed the city was home to important officials and tomb builders and would have flourished during early-era ancient Egyptian times. The discovery comes at a time when the country is trying re-energise its tourism industry, which has suffered amid militant violence since President Hosni Mubarak was overthrown in 2011. BBC

Some 1,500 migrants have clashed with police in Bulgaria's largest refugee centre, two days after the facility was sealed off following reports of an alleged infection outbreak. Officials said the claims were false. The Harmanli centre is home to 3,000 people, mostly Afghan refugees. Protesters threw stones at riot police, who used water cannon to disperse them. Some 13,000 migrants are still stranded in Bulgaria, the European Union's poorest country. In an attempt to prevent illegal crossings, the country built a fence on its border with Turkey and reinforced its border controls. BBC

Some 77 people, most of them Shia pilgrims from Iran and Afghanistan, have been killed in a truck bomb attack in Iraq, officials say. The blast struck at a petrol station and restaurant near Hilla, some 100 km (60 miles) south of Baghdad. Bus loads of pilgrims had stopped there on their way home from commemorating Arbaeen in the holy city of Karbala. Some 40 people were wounded. The jihadist group Islamic State said it carried out the attack. BBC

Lufthansa cancels 900 flights amid strike

Lufthansa cancels 900 flights amid strike

23 Nov

Lufthansa has cancelled almost 900 flights after it lost an eleventh-hour legal bid to halt a pilots strike. The two-day strike over pay began at midnight local time, with Lufthansa saying about 100,000 passengers will be affected. Flights by Lufthansa's other airlines including Eurowings, Swiss, Austrian Airlines, and Brussels Airlines are not affected, the airline said. The industrial action is part of a long-running pay dispute at Lufthansa. BBC

A storm in the Caribbean has been upgraded to a hurricane and is threatening Costa Rica and southern Nicaragua, forecasters say. They warned that Hurricane Otto may have winds of 90 mph (145km/h) when it makes landfall early on Thursday. At least four people have already died in Panama in severe weather caused by the approach of the storm. The hurricane is moving west at 2 mph (4km/h) after being almost stationary throughout Tuesday, experts say. The US National Hurricane Center says Otto is now blowing at about 75 mph (120km/h) as it approaches northern Costa Rica and southern Nicaragua. The governments of Nicaragua and Costa Rica have issued a hurricane watch from Costa Rica's southern border to the city of Bluefields in Nicaragua. There is also a likelihood of dangerous surf and rip current conditions over the next few days along the coasts of Panama, Costa Rica and Nicaragua, officials say. BBC

Authorities in three Bolivian regions have called an end to the school year two weeks early as the country suffers from a severe and prolonged drought. Three reservoirs which supply the largest city, La Paz, are almost dry, and water rationing is in effect until further notice. More than 125,000 families are thought to be affected, with some communities only receiving water every third day. President Evo Morales declared a national state of emergency on Monday. BBC

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.3 hit northern Japan on Tuesday, the Japan Meteorological Agency said, issuing tsunami advisories for much of the nation's northern Pacific coast. The epicenter of the earthquake, which was felt in Tokyo, was off the coast of Fukushima prefecture at a depth of about 10 km, the agency said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injury. Reuters

A suicide bomber has killed at least 27 people in a suicide attack on a Shia Muslim mosque in the Afghan capital, Kabul, police say. Another 35 were wounded in the blast at the Baqir ul Olum mosque. The attacker was on foot and blew himself up among crowds inside the building, one report said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Afghanistan has largely been spared levels of sectarian violence seen by Pakistan and Iraq. Shia make up about 15% of the population in Afghanistan. An attack in July, claimed by so-called Islamic State, killed 80 people at a Shia protest march in Kabul. BBC

Indian rescue workers concluded their search of the mangled carriages of a derailed train on Monday, bringing the number of passengers killed in the disaster to at least 142 and the injured to more than 200. Sunday's derailment in the state of Uttar Pradesh was India's deadliest train crash since 2010 and has renewed concern about the poor safety standard of the state-run network, which is a lifeline for millions of Indians but has suffered from chronic underinvestment. Police at the accident site said rescue teams had finished their search for bodies buried in the 14 carriages that derailed in the early hours while most of the more than 500 passengers were asleep. Reuters

Zika virus no longer an emergency- WHO

Zika virus no longer an emergency- WHO

18 Nov

The mosquito-borne Zika virus will no longer be treated as an international medical emergency, the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared. By lifting its nine-month-old declaration, the UN's health agency is acknowledging that Zika is here to stay. The infection has been linked to severe birth defects in almost 30 countries. These include microcephaly, where babies are born with abnormally small heads and restricted brain development. BBC

Thousands of Indonesians expected to rally against rising intolerance

Thousands of Indonesians expected to rally against rising intolerance

18 Nov

Thousands of Indonesians are expected to rally on Saturday against what they see as growing racial and religious intolerance in the world's largest Muslim-majority country. Religious leaders, human right groups and other organizations will join the parade in central Jakarta, spokeswoman Umi Azalea said by telephone. The movement was not political but aimed at "celebrating Indonesia's diversity", Azalea said. Reuters

PeruRail, the company that takes hundreds of thousands of foreign visitors to the ancient Incan ruins of Machu Picchu each year, suspended service indefinitely on Thursday due to the threat of violent protests. PeruRail said in a statement it would run a few trains to evacuate tourists who are already at the site, one of South America's most popular tourist attractions, and will refund tickets that have been purchased. Reuters

At least four people died in a fire in a movie theater at a popular seaside mall in Lima on Wednesday, authorities said, ahead of a global summit bringing together presidents from the United States, Russia, China and Japan this week. The government of Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski said the fire at the Larcomar shopping center appears to have been started by a short circuit. Reuters

Cuba has pardoned 787 convicts in response to Pope Francis' Holy Year call to all heads of state for acts of clemency, the ruling Communist Party newspaper Granma reported on Tuesday. Those pardoned include women, youths, people who are ill and "other categories," according to Granma. A list of names has not been made public. Cuba, which has denied that it has political prisoners, said those convicted of murder, rape, child abuse and drug trafficking would be excluded from the pardons. Reuters

New Zealand emergency services and defense personnel began evacuating hundreds of tourists and residents from the South Island town of Kaikoura on Tuesday, a day after a powerful earthquake hit the region, killing two people. The 7.8-magnitude tremor, which struck just after midnight on Sunday, destroyed historic farm homesteads, sent glass and masonry toppling from high rises in the capital Wellington and cut road and rail links throughout the northeast of the South Island. Reuters

A powerful magnitude-7.8 earthquake has struck New Zealand's South Island, killing at least two people. The US Geological Survey said the magnitude-7.4 quake hit just after midnight (11:02 GMT on Sunday), some 95km (59 miles) from Christchurch. It was felt as far afield as the capital Wellington on the North Island, 120 miles (200km) away.
A tsunami arrived about two hours later. Officials warned everyone along the eastern coast to head inland or for higher ground. BBC

Long queues continue outside banks and several ATMs have run out of cash in India, three days after 500 ($7) and 1,000 rupee notes were withdrawn as part of anti-corruption measures. The BBC visited many ATMs of big banks in Delhi and Mumbai but found them either shut or not dispensing cash. Reuters

Some 30,000 residents of the Nigerian megacity Lagos have become homeless because of state-ordered demolitions and riots among slum dwellers competing for jobs and space, residents and a rights group said on Thursday. The violence highlights the challenges of a rapidly rising population unable to provide enough jobs and housing for its 180 million people. Many end up trying to migrate to Europe by boat from lawless Libya. Reuters

Anxious world leaders seek clarity on Trump policies

Anxious world leaders seek clarity on Trump policies

9 Nov

World leaders offered to work with Donald Trump when he takes over as U.S. president, but expressed anxiety over how he will handle problems from the Middle East to an assertive Russia and whether he will carry out a number of campaign threats. Several authoritarian and right-wing leaders hailed the billionaire businessman and former TV show host, who won the leadership of the world's most powerful country against the odds in Tuesday's election. Reuters

At least seven people were killed and more than 50 injured when a tram overturned on Wednesday morning in south London, police said and later confirmed the driver had been arrested. Early indications were that the tram was travelling too fast on a sharp bend, investigators said. Reuters

Millions of Americans turn out on Election Day to pick the next U.S. president

Millions of Americans turn out on Election Day to pick the next U.S. president

8 Nov

After a long and exceptionally negative campaign, Americans by the millions voted on Tuesday for their next president as opinion polls showed Democrat Hillary Clinton with a narrow lead over Republican Donald Trump. In a battle that focused on the character of the candidates, Clinton, 69, a former U.S. first lady, senator and secretary of state, and Trump, 70, a New York businessman, made final, fervent appeals to voters late on Monday to turn out at the polls. Reuters

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced that the existing 500 and 1,000 rupee banknotes will be withdrawn from the financial system overnight. The surprise move is part of a crackdown on corruption and illegal cash holdings, he said in a nationwide address on television. BBC

Floods triggered by heavy rains have killed at least 10 people in northern Haiti, officials say. Officials said 300mm (almost one foot) of rain had fallen in just 48 hours. The flooding comes just over a month after Hurricane Matthew devastated large parts of the country and killed more than 500 people. Many neighbourhoods of Cap-Haitien are flooded. BBC

Floods in Vietnam's central, central highland and southern provinces have left 15 people dead and six missing and displaced thousands, the Department of Natural Disaster Prevention and Control said on Monday. Flooding from very heavy rain brought by cold air and a tropical low pressure system last week have blocked roads, destroyed more than 200 houses and inundated more than 40,000 other houses in 12 provinces, the department said in a report. Reuters

TA 6.4-magnitude quake rattled central Chile on Friday, shaking buildings in the capital, but authorities said there were no immediate injuries or damage to infrastructure or mines reported. Chile's emergency office Onemi called it a "major" seismic event, and said it was evaluating whether any damage had taken place. The U.S. Geological Survey said the epicenter of the quake was about 45 miles (72 km) northeast of Talca and around 119 miles south of Santiago, at a depth of about 56 miles. Reuters

TA long-distance train collided into stationary coaches in the Pakistani port city of Karachi on Thursday, killing at least 20 people, hospital officials said, in the country's second major rail collision in less than two months. Television footage showed mangled and overturned carriages, and media reported rescuers were working to free people trapped in the wreckage. Reuters

U.S. issues travel advisory for India amid fears of Islamic State attacks

U.S. issues travel advisory for India amid fears of Islamic State attacks

1 Nov

The U.S. embassy in New Delhi issued a security message to American citizens in India on Tuesday to be vigilant following reports that Islamic State may be planning to attack targets there. "Recent Indian media reports indicate ISIL's desire to attack targets in India," the advisory said, warning of an increased threat to places frequented by Westerners such as religious sites, markets and festival venues. Reuters

October

Thousands of people in central Italy have spent the night in cars, tents and temporary shelters following the fourth earthquake in the area in three months. The 6.6-magnitude quake - Italy's strongest in decades - struck close to the region where nearly 300 people were killed by a quake in August. This time no-one appears to have died in the quake near the town of Norcia, but about 20 people were injured. More than 100 aftershocks were registered overnight into Monday. These included one with a magnitude of 4.2. BBC

Angry residents of the Indian capital, Delhi, are sharing images of smog, one day after Diwali celebrations saw huge quantities of fireworks set off. Levels of particulate matter in the air hazardous to health rose to nearly 10 times the safe limit of 100. Authorities had warned that Delhi faced a polluted Diwali because of factors like humidity and wind speed. Diwali, the most important Hindu festival in north India, celebrates the victory of good over evil. Fire crackers are regularly set off during the festivities but tend to worsen air quality. Delhi's local government announced last week that it would install air purifiers near roads in an effort to cut the effects of air pollution. BBC

Nepal's army says it has finished draining a dangerous glacial lake near Mount Everest to a safe level. The Imja glacial lake, at nearly 5,000m (16,400ft) high, was in danger of flooding downstream settlements, trekking trails and bridges. The lake, which was originally 149m deep in places, has had its water levels lowered by 3.4m after months of painstaking work, officials say. Imja is one of thousands of glacial lakes in the Himalayas. Many of the lakes are said to be filling up fast because of accelerated melting of glaciers amid rising global temperatures. Last year's earthquake in Nepal is also feared to have further destabilised Lake Imja. BBC

At least 17 civilians were killed in Yemen's southwestern province of Taiz on Saturday by a Saudi-led coalition air strike that struck a house, local officials and residents said. The raid targeted a house in the al-Salw district, the sources said, an area of Taiz where Houthi rebels and government forces backed by the coalition are fighting for control. Taiz is Yemen's third largest city with an estimated pre-war population of 300,000. The Saudi-led coalition has been fighting Houthi rebels and forces loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, who hold much of the north of Yemen including the capital Sanaa, since March 2015 to try to restore the internationally recognized President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to power. The exiled Hadi on Saturday rejected a U.N. peace proposal to end the turmoil saying the deal would only be a path to more war and destruction. Reuters

Syrian rebels including jihadists counter-attacked the army and its allies aiming to break a weeks-long siege on eastern Aleppo, insurgents said. The assault, employing heavy shelling and suicide car bombs, was mainly focused on the city's western edge by rebels based in the countryside outside Aleppo. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based war monitor, said more than 15 civilians had been killed and 100 wounded by rebel shelling of government-held western Aleppo. State media reported that seven civilians were killed. There were conflicting accounts of advances in areas on the city's outskirts. Aleppo, Syria's biggest pre-war city, has become the main theater of conflict between President Bashar al-Assad, backed by Iran, Russia and Shi'ite militias, and Sunni rebels including some supported by Turkey, Gulf monarchies and the United States. Reuters

Thousands of South Koreans rallied in Seoul on Saturday demanding the resignation of President Park Geun-hye, as a crisis deepened over allegations a friend exerted inappropriate influence over her and interfered in state affairs. The street protest came as prosecutors investigate presidential aides and other officials to determine whether they broke the law to allow Park's friend, Choi Soon-sil, to wield undue influence and gain financially. Angry Koreans say Park betrayed public trust and mismanaged the government, and has lost a mandate to lead the country. About 8,000 people attended the rally, according to police, organized by a group of left-leaning civic groups. Organizers said up to 30,000 people took part in the march through the capital. Reuters

Twenty-five people have been killed in two days of violence in the Central African Republic, the UN peacekeeping mission has said. On Thursday, 15 people died in clashes between Muslim fighters of the former Seleka militia and the Christian vigilante anti-Balaka group, it said. Six police officers and four civilians died in an ambush on Friday. The Central African Republic has been wracked by conflict along religious and ethnic lines since 2013. BBC

Twenty-four countries and the European Union agreed on Friday to create the world's largest marine park in the Antarctic Ocean, covering a massive 1.55 million square km (600,000 square miles) of ocean. The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, meeting in Hobart, Australia, said the Ross Sea marine park would be protected from commercial fishing for 35 years. The sanctuary will cover more than 12 percent of the Southern Ocean, which is home to more than 10,000 species including most of the world's penguins, whales, seabirds, colossal squid and Antarctic tooth fish. Reuters

Migrants broke into song and dance or clapped their hands with delight on Thursday as they were brought to Italy on a search and rescue ship after their rubber boats capsized at sea. The Responder, a vessel run by the Migrant Offshore Aid station, carried 347 people from Syria, Libya, Ghana, Nigeria, Niger, Togo, Pakistan and Morocco to mainland Italy on Thursday. Reuters

Two strong earthquakes rocked a wide area of central Italy on Wednesday, striking fear among residents rattled by a deadly tremor in August, but there were no reports of casualties. The quakes, which struck about two hours apart, caused the collapse of several old structures, including a number of historic rural churches that were empty at the time. The second quake was measured at 6.0 magnitude by the U.S. Geological Survey and the first measured 5.4. Reuters

Brazil's government is considering waiving visas for visitors from the United States, Japan, Canada and Australia to boost tourism, and could eventually extend the plan to include China, a tourism ministry spokesman said on Monday. Brazil's President Michel Temer is keen to draw more foreign investment and visitors to Brazil to help pull Latin America's largest nation from its worst recession since the 1930s Great Depression. Reuters

France began clearing the sprawling "Jungle" migrant camp on Monday as hundreds gave up on their dreams of reaching Britain, a tantalizingly short sea crossing away. Following sporadic outbreaks of unrest overnight, the migrants chose instead with calm resignation to be relocated in France while their asylum requests are considered. By lunchtime more than 700 had left the squalid shanty-town outside Calais on France's northern coast for reception centers across the country. Hundreds more queued outside a hangar, waiting to be processed before the bulldozers move in. Reuters

Kurdish forces have carried out new attacks on positions of so-called Islamic State (IS) in northern Iraq to retake the town of Bashiqa, near Mosul. Kurdish Peshmerga commanders said they made large advances into IS territory and secured part of a highway that will limit IS's freedom of movement. Turkey joined the fight against IS on Sunday, directing artillery fire at jihadist positions in Bashiqa. BBC

French officials are preparing for the clearance of the "Jungle" migrant camp in Calais, due to start on Monday.
Authorities say some 7,000 people live in the camp in squalid conditions. They will be offered placements in refugee centres across France. But there is concern that some migrants will refuse to go because they still want to get to Britain. The UK has begun to accept some of the estimated 1,300 unaccompanied children from the camp. BBC

London City airport was declared safe on Friday after hundreds of passengers had to be evacuated and two were taken to hospital with breathing difficulties in an incident that police suspect was caused by CS gas. The airport was briefly closed as police and firefighters in protective equipment swept the terminal building of the airport with chemical detectors after several people were taken ill, some of them coughing violently. Reuters

Police in Pretoria used tear gas and stun grenades to disperse hundreds of students gathered outside South African President Jacob Zuma's offices on Thursday as yet another protest over the high cost of university education turned violent. Weeks of demonstrations calling for the scrapping of university fees, prohibitive for many black students, have highlighted frustration at enduring inequalities in South Africa more than two decades after the end of white minority rule. Reuters

An air base in the US state of Colorado says it has accidentally released 150,000 gallons of toxic contaminated water into the sewer system of the nearby city of Colorado Springs. Peterson Air Force base said the water contained perfluorinated compounds or PFCs, a component of firefighting foam.
It did not say how high the levels of chemicals were. A spokesman said the spillage did not affect the city's drinking water supply but was discharged into a creek. BBC

A police van has rammed protesters in the Philippines capital Manila as a demonstration outside the US embassy turned violent. Footage showed protesters surrounding the van and hitting it with batons taken from police. The vehicle then drives into the crowd several times, injuring a number of people. Hundreds had met to demand the US end its military presence in the country. President Rodrigo Duterte has queried long-standing ties with the US. BBC

Some 900 people have fled the Iraqi city of Mosul and crossed the border into Syria, the UN refugee agency says. This is the first large group of civilians confirmed to have escaped since the Iraqi government began its offensive to liberate Mosul from the so-called Islamic State (IS) on Monday. Up to 1.5 million are thought to be in Mosul, with up to 5,000 IS fighters. There are fears the militants will use the civilians as human shields as Iraqi forces get closer to Mosul. BBC

Samsung representatives are standing by at SFO(San Francisco International Airport) in case people bring their potentially dangerous Galaxy Note7's to the airport. SFO says Samsung reps are now located in front of security checkpoints. Customers can go there to swap out their recalled phones or get a refund. Right now, Note7's are banned on all U.S. flights after several reports of fires. ABC 7 News

EU should prepare for jihadists

EU should prepare for jihadists

18 Oct

The European Union should be prepared for returning jihadists if the so-called Islamic State (IS) is driven out of its Iraqi stronghold, Mosul, the EU's security commissioner warns. Iraqi forces launched what is expected to be a lengthy offensive on Monday. As many as 5,000 IS fighters are believed to remain in Mosul. BBC

The house in Austria where Adolf Hitler was born is set to be demolished to stop it becoming a focal point for neo-Nazis. The future of the former guesthouse has been widely debated, with opinion torn between razing it or changing its use. The argument was further complicated after its owner refused to sell. But Interior Minister Wolfgang Sobotka said a committee of experts had decided that the house should be demolished, reported Austrian newspaper Die Presse. BBC

Hurricane Nicole has roared across Bermuda, tearing roofs from buildings and uprooting trees, before moving out into the Atlantic Ocean. The storm had weakened from a Category Four to a Category Three, but still had maximum sustained winds of more than 205km/h (125mph). Teams are out clearing roads and repairing buildings and power lines. Last week Hurricane Matthew devastated parts of Haiti, killing hundreds of people. BBC

Embassies in Thailand have advised tourists to respect the feelings of the Thai people following the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, a man seen as a father-figure in the country. King Bhumibol, who was the world's longest-reigning monarch, died on Thursday aged 88, sparking an outpouring of grief. The government has declared one year of official mourning and asked Thais to wear black and avoid "festivities" for 30 days. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, however, has called on businesses to stay active. The cabinet declared a government holiday for mourning on Friday but the Stock Exchange of Thailand and banks operated normally. Britain's Foreign Office said in a travel advisory those traveling to Thailand had to be respectful of people's feelings. "You should respect the sensitivities of the Thai people at this time; access to entertainment, including restaurants, bars and shopping areas may be restricted and you should behave respectfully when in public areas," it said. Reuters

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has extended a ceasefire with Farc rebels until the end of the year to give more time to save a peace deal. The accord, signed with the left-wing rebel group last month, was narrowly rejected in a national referendum. Mr Santos has spent the past few days meeting those who campaigned for a "No" vote. He will take new proposals to a meeting with Farc leaders in the Cuban capital, Havana. The original ceasefire ended with the referendum and has already been extended until 31 October. BBC

The Indian army says two armed militants who had taken up positions in a government building in Indian-administered Kashmir have been killed. This followed a three-day standoff between the soldiers and militants near the town of Pampore on Wednesday. An army spokesman said the building was searched and weapons were recovered. Indian-administered Kashmir has seen a wave of deadly unrest since a popular separatist leader was killed by the security forces in July.BBC

Hundreds of taxi drivers blocked access to Lisbon airport and snarled traffic in the Portuguese capital on Monday as they protested against app-based ride-sharing companies such as Uber. The protests are still going on today and may continue the coming days. Borneo Post

Rebels attacked trucks carrying civilians in South Sudan, killing 21 people, the government said, as violence between rival forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and his former vice president risks dragging the country back into civil war. The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said in a statement on Monday it had received reports of horrific violence being perpetrated against civilians in Central Equatorial State and urged both rebel and government commanders to control their forces and cease hostilities. The government said on Monday 21 civilians were killed, some burned to death, and about 20 wounded when rebel gunmen ambushed their vehicles on a road connecting Yei town, in Central Equatorial State, to the capital Juba on Saturday. Reuters

Nearly 900 people are known to have been killed by Hurricane Matthew in Haiti, with aid officials saying up to 90% of some areas has been destroyed.Some of the hardest-hit towns are yet to be reached by land, and there are fears more bodies will be found.Hurricane Matthew is now heading towards South and North Carolina in the US, having battered Florida on Friday. It was still packing winds of up to 105 mph (165 km/h) with higher gusts, even though it was expected to weaken in the next 48 hours, the US National Hurricane Center said in its latest advisory. BBC

German town in lockdown over suspected bomb attack plan

German town in lockdown over suspected bomb attack plan

8 Oct

German police said they were evacuating a building in the eastern city of Chemnitz on Saturday on suspicion that a bomb attack was being planned, and told residents in the affected district to stay at home. Police appeared to use force to enter the building, and said on Twitter: "The explosion heard was an access measure by the police. A relevant person could not be found. "Please remain in your apartments within the cordoned off area and follow the instructions of the police here and on site," Saxony state police added on twitter. Police said they had undertaken a large deployment in the Fritz-Heckert-Gebiet neighborhood of Chemnitz. A spokeswoman declined to give further details. Reuters

Hurricane Matthew killed more than 800 people and left tens of thousands homeless in its rampage through Haiti earlier this week before it lashed Florida on Friday with rain and howling winds and rolled northward up the U.S. Atlantic coast. The number of fatalities in Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas, surged to at least 842 on Friday as information trickled in from remote areas previously cut off by the storm, according to a Reuters tally of death tolls given by officials. Reuters

Pakistan train bombings kill at least four

Pakistan train bombings kill at least four

7 Oct

Two bombs targeting a train in the restive western Pakistani province of Baluchistan killed at least four people on Friday and wounded 16, officials said. The bombs hit the Jaffer Express which runs between the provincial capital, Quetta, and Rawalpindi, next to the capital, Islamabad, said Kashif Akhtar, a senior railways official in Quetta. Reuters

Hurricane Matthew has killed at least 102 people, the death toll in struggling Haiti alone rising to 98, local officials told Reuters, as the storm headed northward on Thursday battering the Bahamas en route to Florida. Many were killed by falling trees, flying debris and swollen rivers. Southern and western Haiti bore the brunt. Reuters

Two police officers were stabbed in Brussels on Wednesday in what prosecutors said could have been a terrorist attack. Brussels is on high alert after bombings in March killed 32 people at the city's airport and in a subway carriage. According to public broadcaster VRT, one officer was stabbed in the neck and another in the stomach. The attacker then broke the nose of a third policeman who had arrived on the scene. The attacker, identified as 43-year-old Belgian Hicham D., was shot in the leg and taken away by ambulance, prosecutors said in a statement, adding that the police officers' wounds were not life-threatening. BBC News

Hundreds of thousands of people in Florida and South Carolina have been told to evacuate as Hurricane Matthew churns towards the US east coast. "This is a serious storm," warned President Barack Obama, adding that it would have a "significant" impact on Florida by Thursday morning. Traffic jams are reported in the city of Charleston, in South Carolina, as residents flee the area. The category three system is currently battering the Bahamas. BBC News

If there is ever a time when one truly understands what it feels to live alongside 1.4 billion people in the world's most populous nation, it is the annual Golden Week holiday in China. The holiday always begins on Oct. 1, the celebration of the Communist founding of the People's Republic in 1949. And this year, the crowds have gotten even more epic in scale, with hordes of travelers taking to the highways, the rails and the air. People's Daily, the Communist Party newspaper, said 589 million people were expected to travel this week, almost twice the population of the United States. The New York Times

The most powerful Caribbean hurricane in nearly a decade has hit Haiti, bringing 145mph (230km/h) winds, heavy rain and dangerous storm surges. Hurricane Matthew, a Category Four storm, made landfall at about 11:00 GMT and is heading towards eastern Cuba. The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Haiti was "getting everything a major hurricane can throw at them". BBC

Hurricane Matthew bore down on Haiti on Monday, where towns and villages braced for "catastrophic" floods and mudslides that forecasters fear will be triggered by 140 mile-per-hour (220 kph) winds and up to 3 feet of rain over its denuded hills. Winds and rain began picking up in the southwest of the Caribbean country, but the center of Matthew, a violent Category 4 storm, is not due until late on Monday night, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. Reuters

September

At least one person was killed and more than 100 injured, some critically, when a commuter train plowed into Hoboken station in New Jersey during the morning rush hour on Thursday, officials and media said. Reuters

Europol warns of Android tap-and-go thefts

Europol warns of Android tap-and-go thefts

28 Sep

Law authorities have warned they believe criminals are using Android phones to trigger fraudulent tap-and-go payments. The alert comes in Europol's annual Internet Organised Crime Threat Assessment report. Experts had previously said that the rollout of smart wallet systems could raise such a threat. BBC News

Three blasts killed at least 17 people and wounded more than 50 in predominantly Shi'ite Muslim districts of Baghdad on Tuesday, police and medical sources said. A suicide bomber detonated his explosive vest in a commercial street in the eastern Baghdad al-Jadida area of the Iraqi capital, killing nine people and wounding more than 30, they said. Another suicide attack hit a commercial street of Bayaa in western Baghdad, killing six and wounding 22, the sources said Reuters

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and Marxist rebel leader Timochenko will use a pen made from a bullet on Monday to sign an agreement ending a half-century war that killed a quarter of a million people and made their nation a byword for violence. After four years of talks in Havana, Santos, 65, and Timochenko, nom de guerre for 57-year-old revolutionary Rodrigo Londono, will shake hands on Colombian soil for the first time. Reuters

Thousands of protestors marched in Dublin, and Irish expatriates joined in demonstrations around the world on Saturday, to put pressure on the Irish government to hold a referendum to repeal restrictive abortion laws. Regulations in the once stridently Catholic Ireland are among the strictest in the world and next month Prime Minister Enda Kenny will call a citizens' assembly to advise the government on whether a vote should be held to boost access to abortion. Reuters

Three Thai policemen were killed and two wounded on Friday in a bomb and gun attack in the southern province of Yala where Muslim separatists have been waging a simmering insurgency against the state. The attack came just over a month after a series of bombs in three of Thailand's main tourist towns killed four people and wounding dozens and raised fears the insurgents were expanding their fight to tourist targets. Reuters

North Carolina's governor has declared a state of emergency in the city of Charlotte, after violence erupted during a second night of protests over the police killing of a black man. Keith Lamont Scott was shot dead by a black officer on Tuesday. One protester remains in a critical condition after a "civilian on civilian" shooting, police said. Mr Scott was the third black man killed by US police in a week. Such shootings have sparked nationwide protests. Riot police in Charlotte used tear gas as they faced hundreds of protesters. The local police department said four officers were injured. BBC

Bus drivers in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, paralysed the city for eight hours by blocking the streets with their vehicles to protest against the country's economic crisis. Hundreds of drivers demanded more pay and protection from violent crime. Many said they needed more money to maintain their buses and complained of a scarcity of spare parts. BBC

Hundreds of migrants trying to make their way to Britain from Calais in northern France clashed with French riot police on Wednesday. Police used tear-gas grenades and led charges to disperse migrants trying to make their way to the approach road for Calais port. The clashes took place not far from where a British-financed wall is being built to seal off the road, where migrants frequently try to jump on trucks bound for Britain. Under the current arrangement, thousands of migrants fleeing war or poverty in the Middle East, Africa and Asia have built a shanty town near Calais known as "the Jungle", which French authorities are currently dismantling. Reuters

Indonesian search and rescue teams worked on Wednesday to find victims of flash floods that killed 20 people and damaged hundreds of homes, authorities said. The floods hit the Garut area, about 200 km (125 miles) southeast of the capital, Jakarta, on Tuesday after torrential rain. Military personnel and volunteers helped evacuate about 1,000 residents of the area. Debris floated in gradually receding floodwater in inundated villages and there appeared to be widespread damage to vehicles and buildings. Flash floods and landslides are common in Indonesia, often caused by heavy rain at this time of year. Reuters

Thirty-two people were killed in Democratic Republic of Congo during two days of violent protests against election delays that would allow President Joseph Kabila to stay in power beyond the end of his term, a police spokesman said on Wednesday Reuters

Thousands of protesters marched through Brussels on Tuesday to demand the European Union abandon planned transatlantic free trade deals they say will worsen labor conditions and allow big business to challenge governments. Organizers, including unions, environmental and consumer groups and public health insurers, said between 10,000 and 15,000 people headed to the EU quarter of Brussels by early evening. Police put the number at 6,000. Reuters

Police arrested an Afghanistan-born American suspected of carrying out this weekend's bombing in New York City that injured 29 people and planting other devices in New York and New Jersey following a Monday morning gun battle with the suspect. Reuters

The number of dead from last month's earthquake in central Italy has risen to 297 after two more people died, the Italian civil defence service reports. One had been injured in Amatrice, the town which saw the heaviest loss of life, and the other in Arquata del Tronto, which was also badly damaged. BBC News

An explosion on a tourist boat off the Indonesian island of Bali has killed two people and injured at least 14 others, police say. An Austrian woman was one of the dead, according to police, while the identity of the second victim, also a foreign woman, was still unclear. A short circuit near the fuel tank may have been the cause, officials said, ruling out a bomb. BBC News

Riot police fired teargas and water cannon at protesters marching on Thursday in France against labor reforms in what unions say will likely be the last demonstrations to try to overturn the law. Scuffles broke out in Paris and the western city of Nantes. Hooded youths hurled bottles, beer cans and on occasion makeshift firebombs on the fringes of marches against the law that will make hiring and firing easier. As turnout fades after six months of protests, the head of the Force Ouvriere union signaled that the focus of opposition would now shift to legal challenges against the application of the new law, and that street marches were at an end. Reuters

Hundreds of people have been evacuated in southern Taiwan and China has issued a red alert as the region braces for the impact of the strongest storm of the year. Super Typhoon Meranti is barreling down on Taiwan, bringing wind speeds of up to 230 miles per hour (370 kph), faster than a Formula One race car, and torrential rains. Schools and offices across the south of the island have closed and dozens of flights have been canceled, according to the official China News Agency. Two people have been injured, and more than 260,000 households have lost power in counties across southern Taiwan, according to Taiwan authorities. More than 370 domestic and international flights have been canceled and train services have also been suspended. CNN

One of Japan's most active volcanoes is due for a major eruption within the next 30 years, say scientists who have studied a build-up of magma there. The Sakurajima volcano on Japan's Kyushu island poses a "growing threat", researchers at the University of Bristol say. The volcano, located 49km (30 miles) from the Sendai nuclear plant, is also close to Kagoshima, a city of 600,000. Sakurajima's last deadly eruption was in 1914, when 58 people died. The Japanese archipelago, which sits on the Pacific "Ring of fire", has more than 100 volcanoes. Sakurajima regularly spews ash and there are many small explosions there each year, with the latest eruption being in February. BBC News

One dead, four hurt in lifeboat crash in Harmony of the Seas accident

One dead, four hurt in lifeboat crash in Harmony of the Seas accident

13 Sep

One crew member has died and four others have been injured in an accident on the Harmony of the Seas, the world's biggest cruise liner. The 42-year-old Filipino crew member died when a lifeboat, with five crew, became detached from the fifth deck during a safety exercise. It fell 10 metres (33 feet) into the water. Two crew members are in hospital with life-threatening injuries. The accident happened during a stopover in Marseille. BBC News

A nationwide ceasefire brokered by the United States and Russia came into effect in Syria on Monday evening, the second attempt this year by Washington and Moscow to halt the five-year-old civil war. The Syrian army, announced the truce at 7 pm (1600 GMT), the moment it took effect, saying the seven-day "regime of calm" would be applied across Syria. It reserved the right to respond with all forms of firepower to any violation by "armed groups". Reuters

At least four people have been killed and 47 hurt in a train derailment near O Porrino in north-western Spain. About 60 passengers were on the Portuguese train when it derailed at 09:30 (07:30 GMT) just outside the station. Those killed were the Portuguese driver and Spanish conductor, a US tourist and another Spaniard. BBC News

The Rio Paralympics will get under way later with a colourful opening ceremony watched by millions worldwide, following troubled preparations. The build-up featured low ticket sales, a funding crisis, Russia's ban and criticism of athlete classifications. But the focus will be on the Maracana Stadium from 22:15 BST, when thousands of spectators will experience the parade of more than 4,300 athletes. BBC News

Three people have been found dead and a woman is missing after torrential rain caused flash flooding in Greece. The worst casualties were in and around the south-western city of Kalamata, where a disabled woman aged 63 and a man of 80 died in their basement homes. A 90 year-old was also found dead. Another woman was missing after abandoning her car in floods in northern Greece.
The floods destroyed homes and businesses and swept cars out to sea. BBC News

Tel Aviv and Jerusalem are only 60 km (40 miles) apart but they often feel like different planets, not just in terms of mentality but because the commute from the Mediterranean to the hills can sometimes take two hours. That is set to change in the next 18 months with the completion of a $2 billion, high-speed rail line that will slash the time between the high-tech, business center and Jerusalem's Old City to just 30 minutes. Reuters

At least 12 people have been killed in a bomb attack in the home city of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. Dozens more were wounded in the explosion at a packed market in the southern city of Davao. Police in the capital Manila are on high alert following the deadly blast. At least 60 people were injured and 30 were taken to hospital BBC News

Hurricane Hermine, the first to hit Florida in a decade, has killed one person and caused severe damage along the state's northern Gulf Coast. As the system pushed into Georgia, it knocked down power lines leaving hundreds of thousands without power. Gusts of 80mph (130km/h) caused storm surges that flooded part of the coast. BBC News

Hundreds of thousands of rival demonstrators in Venezuela are marching through the streets of the capital, Caracas. One group is calling for the removal of President Nicolas Maduro. They blame him for Venezuela's deep economic crisis and accuse the electoral commission of deliberately delaying a referendum that could shorten his stay in power. Supporters of Mr Maduro are also rallying in huge numbers. BBC News

Residents of a small community on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island have been asked to evacuate after a severe earthquake at sea.
Civil defence authorities asked people in the Tolaga Bay area to leave their homes after a 7.1 quake struck 169km (105 miles) north-east of Gisborne. People in some coastal areas were told to go to higher ground. The quake caused a tsunami but it has had no noticeable impact, an emergency worker told New Zealand radio. BBC News

August

U.S. resumes scheduled passenger flights to Cuba after more than 50 years

U.S. resumes scheduled passenger flights to Cuba after more than 50 years

31 Aug

The first scheduled commercial passenger flight from the United States to Cuba in more than half a century landed on Wednesday, opening another chapter in the Obama administration's efforts to improve ties and increase trade and travel with the former Cold War foe. A JetBlue Airways Corp (JBLU.O) passenger jet arrived from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in the central Cuban city of Santa Clara. The route may be a commercial challenge, at least initially, but it is the first of a plethora of new flights by various U.S. airlines to destinations on the Communist-ruled island. Reuters

Forecasters issued a tropical storm warning on Wednesday for the Florida Gulf Coast, where preparations were being made for life-threatening flooding and fierce winds, while residents of Hawaii's Big Island were warned of an encroaching hurricane. Some local governments in Florida have begun distributing sandbags as the unnamed tropical depression heads toward the state's Gulf Coast where as much as 15 inches of rain could fall from Indian Pass on the panhandle along the Gulf of Mexico to north of Tampa, the National Hurricane Center said in an early morning advisory. Flooding, storm surge, fierce winds and tornadoes were all threats to the region, which could begin feeling the storm late on Wednesday, Florida Governor Rick Scott said in a statement. On its current path, the system could make landfall on Florida's north-central Gulf Coast on Thursday, bringing storms into Georgia and the eastern Carolinas on its way to the Atlantic Ocean. [289] Reuters

A car driven by a suicide bomber has exploded after ramming the gates of the Chinese embassy in the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek, officials say.
The suicide bomber died and three embassy employees, all Kyrgyz nationals, were injured, Deputy PM Zhenish Razakov said. China's foreign ministry condemned the bombing as an "extreme and violent attack." BBC News

Singapore has confirmed 41 cases of the Zika virus which were locally transmitted. Most of those infected were foreign construction workers, and all lived or worked within the same region of the country, said the health ministry. None were known to have travelled to Zika-affected areas recently. Thirty-four people have fully recovered but seven are still in hospital. BBC News

Italy plans to build simple, wooden chalet-style huts within three months for the 2,500 people displaced by the 24 August earthquake. Italian media say the structures - used in Onna after a devastating 2009 earthquake - are favoured over tents, such as those currently being used, or converted shipping containers. The 6.2-magnitude quake last Wednesday shattered Amatrice and two other towns in mountains north-east of Rome. BBC News

Taxi-hailing company Uber has suspended its service in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. Rival service Careem has also put its service there on hold, after some of its cars were stopped by authorities. Uber, which has been operating in the Emirates since 2013, did not explain why it had suspended its service, but did say the move was "temporary". BBC News

Italy has declared a state of emergency in the regions worst hit by Wednesday's earthquake as hopes of finding more survivors fade. Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has pledged €50m (£42m) in funds for rebuilding. At least 268 people are now known to have died and 400 were injured. Teams have continued to search the rubble of toppled buildings for a second night. BBC News

Hundreds of aftershocks have rocked devastated areas of central Italy, hampering search efforts after a deadly earthquake. A strong tremor with magnitude 4.3 struck on Thursday afternoon, sending rescuers fleeing from already fragile buildings. About 5,000 rescue workers are combing through rubble for survivors using heavy machinery or bare hands. At least 250 people are now known to have died after Wednesday's quake. BBC News

The death toll from a devastating earthquake in central Italy climbed to at least 250 on Thursday and could rise further with rescue teams working for a second day to try to find survivors under the rubble of flattened towns. The 6.2 magnitude quake struck a cluster of mountain communities 140 km (85 miles) east of Rome early on Wednesday as people slept, destroying hundreds of homes. Reuters

A tropical system brewing in the Caribbean could strengthen into a hurricane before hitting Florida and the Gulf Coast in the coming days. Weather forecasters warn that the storm has a 60% chance of turning into a depression or named storm, according to the National Hurricane Center. The tropical disturbance would be known as Hermine if upgraded to a storm. BBC News

Thirteen people, including students and a professor, were killed in an attack on the American University in Kabul that had students leaping from the windows in panic, the Afghan government said on Thursday. The attack began on Wednesday evening with a large explosion from what officials said was a car bomb followed by gunfire, as suspected militants stormed into the complex where foreign staff and pupils were working. It ended early on Thursday when two gunmen were shot dead by Afghan special forces who surrounded the walled compound and worked their way inside, interior ministry officials said. Reuters

Turkey has ordered residents in the town of Karkamis to evacuate after it was hit by mortars from so-called Islamic State militants in Syria.
Karkamis lies just across the border from Jarablus, an IS-held town which Turkish-backed rebels are expected to try to capture in the coming days. BBC News

Florida's governor has announced five new cases of Zika, including one in the Tampa Bay area, 265 miles (425 km) north of Miami. Four other cases of the virus, which is often spread by mosquitoes, were found in Wynwood in Miami, where officials have sprayed pesticides. BBC News

Four people injured in Romanian Black Sea refinery fire

Four people injured in Romanian Black Sea refinery fire

22 Aug

Four people were injured in a fire and blast at Romania's Black Sea Petromidia crude refinery, deputy Interior Minister Raed Arafat said on Monday. Arafat told Digi24 TV that a fire and blast at a nitrogen tank in the refinery was being dealt with by firefighters as footage taken from the nearby sea resort of Mamaia showed the facility spewing thick clouds of black smoke. Reuters

A woman stabbed and wounded three people on a bus in Brussels on Monday and was then shot and wounded by police, the public prosecutor's office for the Belgian capital said. Officials were not immediately available for comment but public broadcaster RTBF quoted unidentified sources as saying police did not believe the incident was politically motivated and that the assailant had mental health problems. Reuters

More than 30 Syrian rebel fighters are reported to have been killed in a suicide bombing on a bus near the Atmeh border crossing with Turkey. Sources told Turkish media that the attacker detonated an explosive vest on the bus at the entrance to a camp for displaced people late on Sunday. The death toll was likely to rise, activists monitoring the conflict said. [290]

Two people are in a critical condition and hundreds more are ill after drinking tainted tap water in a small town in northern New Zealand. At least 18 people were hospitalised in Havelock North town, officials say. They tested positive for campylobacter bacteria, the most common cause of food poisoning. The bacteria is usually spread by animal feces. Other residents have complained of gastroenteritis forcing local schools to close for two days. The council says the water is being treated but all residents should boil their tap water. [291]

Hundreds sick from tainted water in NZ

Hundreds sick from tainted water in NZ

15 Aug

Two people are in a critical condition and hundreds more are ill after drinking tainted tap water in a small town in northern New Zealand. At least 18 people were hospitalized in Havelock North town, officials say. They tested positive for campylobacter bacteria, the most common cause of food poisoning. The bacteria is usually spread by animal feces. Other residents have complained of gastroenteritis forcing local schools to close for two days. The council says the water is being treated but all residents should boil their tap water. [292]

Nearly 100 people were killed in the weekend's protests in Ethiopia as demonstrators clashed with security forces in different parts of the country, Amnesty International says. The rights group says the most deadly incident happened in Bahir Dar, where at least 30 people died on Sunday. The authorities have said seven died in Bahir Dar and that security forces were reacting to violence from protesters. There has been an unprecedented wave of protests in Ethiopia in recent months. [293]

Delta passengers stranded by power cut

Delta passengers stranded by power cut

8 Aug

Thousands of air passengers around the world have been left stranded after a power cut forced the US airline Delta to suspend flights. The incident caused delays across the US and in Japan, Italy and the UK. Airport check-in systems, passenger advisory screens, the airline's website and smartphone apps were affected by the systems failure on Monday. After six hours, Delta said flights had resumed on a limited basis but warned of continuing delays and cancellations. The airline suspended or cancelled dozens of departures early on Monday, with airport agents forced to write out boarding passes by hand. [294]

At least 20 people have died as storms caused Skopje, the capital of Macedonia, to flood. Some of the victims drowned in their cars. Parts of the city's ring road have been swept away in the floods, dragging cars into nearby fields. Three-and-a-half inches (93mm) of rain fell in Skopje in the storm - more than the average for the whole of August. Three villages in the north-east of the country were cut off due to landslides. More rain is forecast for Sunday evening. [295]

Six people died in eastern Mexico when their homes were buried under landslides caused by heavy rain in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Earl. It happened on Saturday in Veracruz state, and there are warnings that rivers may flood in the neighboring state of Puebla. They were not Storm Earl's first victims. At least nine people died on Monday as it gathered in the Caribbean. Six of the victims were passengers on board a bus that caught fire in the Dominican town of Nagua when it was hit by tumbling power lines. Three people drowned in Haiti when their tour boat capsized. Earl moved westward and struck Belize as a Category One hurricane on Thursday. The hurricane then weakened to a tropical storm and passed over Guatemala and parts of Mexico. It has now been downgraded from a storm to a tropical depression and wind speeds dropped to 30mph (48km/h) by Saturday, but the effects of the large amounts of rainfall it unleashed are continuing. [296]

A US-backed alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters has seized most of a key Syrian city from so-called Islamic State (IS), activists and commanders say. Manbij is situated at an intersection of roads just south of the Turkish border. It has been under IS control for more than two years. Small numbers of IS militants are still resisting, using civilians as human shields, the alliance says. [297]

July

One person is dead and four others have been hospitalised after two separate shooting incidents in the Texan city of Austin, police say. Both crime scenes are now secure, Austin police say, after earlier reporting an "active shooter incident". The shootings happened in the city's entertainment district. [298]

About 25,000 member of India's low-caste Dalit community have rallied in the western state of Gujarat in protest at attacks on their members. Anger among Dalits has been mounting since four young men were stripped and beaten in public as they took a dead cow for skinning earlier this month.
Protesters pledged to boycott some of their traditional tasks, including the disposal of dead animals and manual cleaning of sewers. Cows are considered sacred by Hindus. Killing them is banned in Gujarat, although villagers said the animal that sparked the attack on the youths had died of natural causes. [299]

About 20 armed men who seized a police station in the Armenian capital, Yerevan, have surrendered, police say. The men seized the building nearly two weeks ago seeking the release of "political prisoners" including opposition leader Jirair Sefilian. A police officer was shot dead from inside the police station during the stand-off on Saturday. The shooting came as police issued a deadline for the anti-government group to surrender. When the deadline passed, thousands of protesters again took to the streets in support of the group. The Interfax news service said all of those inside the police station had now been detained. Police issued an ultimatum to the group to surrender following violent scenes late on Friday when police with truncheons and stun grenades clashed with protesters. About 60 people were injured, including some journalists, and more than 100 arrests were reported. [300]

A 27-year-old Syrian asylum seeker blew himself up outside a wine bar in the German town of Ansbach after being refused entry to a music festival shortly after 10pm on Sunday. He died at the scene. Twelve other people were injured, three seriously. The incident is the third violent, random attack on civilians in the past week in Bavaria following the Wurzburg train stabbings last Monday and the Munich shootings on Friday.

Floods in north and central China have killed at least 150 people, with scores missing and hundreds of thousands forced from homes, officials say. Hebei and Henan provinces are the worst hit by the flash floods and landslides. At least 114 people have been killed in Hebei, with 111 missing and 53,000 houses destroyed, officials say. In one city, Xingtai, at least 25 people died, prompting people to demonstrate against the government for failing to warn them of the flooding. The summer rains have been especially heavy in China this year. It has estimated that more than 1.5 million hectares of crops have been damaged and said direct economic losses exceed $3bn (£2.3bn). [301]

Super typhoon Nepartak hit Taiwan, driving thousands of people from their homes, disrupting power supplies and grounding more than 600 flights, authorities said. By afternoon, the typhoon had moved into the Taiwan Strait, weakening as it headed towards China's southeastern province of Fujian, but flooding and strong winds continued to lash the island's central and southern areas. More than 17,300 people were evacuated from their homes, and over 517,000 households suffered power outages, emergency officials said. Three deaths and 172 injuries were reported, bullet train services were suspended and over 340 international and 300 domestic flights canceled, an emergency services website showed. [302]

The streets of Zimbabwe's main cities are deserted during a nationwide stay away to protest at the lack of jobs and unpaid wages. The protests were organised through the messaging site WhatsApp but it is not clear which group is behind it. [303]

June

A wildfire has destroyed at least 80 buildings and forced hundreds of people to flee their homes in California.
The fire is continuing to spread in the mountain town of Lake Isabella and officials say at least 1,500 more buildings are at risk. About 350 firefighters have battled the flames overnight, and their number is being doubled later on Friday. The blaze is one of several fires sparked by recent hot weather across the western United States. Thousands of firefighters in total have been involved in attempts to control blazes across California, where hot temperatures and 20-mph winds combined with five years of drought have helped fires to spread. [304]

Pound loses value after Brexit results

Pound loses value after Brexit results

24 Jun

The pound has fallen to levels not seen since 1985 following the UK's referendum vote to leave the EU. Shares have also been hit. The FTSE 100 index began the day by falling more than 8%, then regained some ground to stand 2.5% lower. The more UK-focused FTSE 250 fared even worse, down 8% in early afternoon trading. Banks were hard hit, with Barclays and RBS falling about 30%, although they later pared losses to below 20%. The FTSE 100 ended the day 3.15% or 199.41 points lower. The pound's dramatic fall started overnight as the outcome of the referendum became clear. At one stage, it hit $1.3236, a fall of more than 10%. By early afternoon, it had partially recovered, but was still nearly 8% down on the day. [305]

The UK votes to leave the European Union, prompting David Cameron to announce he is to step down as prime minister - and UKIP leader Nigel Farage to declare it "independence day". Look out for future alerts about Brexit having any effect on UK travel.[306]

A tornado has killed 51 people in eastern China and injured dozens more, state media say. Official news agency Xinhua reports that the tornado - accompanied by torrential rain and hailstorms - hit the province of Jiangsu on Thursday afternoon. Homes in Yancheng city were flattened, it adds. Floods in parts of southern China killed 22 people earlier this week. Video from the scene of the tornado shows injured children being transported on the backs of mopeds, overturned vehicles, snapped trees and street light poles, and toppled electricity pylons. Many parts of China have been hit by torrential rains this week. The floods in southern China displaced nearly 200,000 people, state media said. [307]

At least 85 people were arrested in Paris as thousands took part in a protest against France's labour reforms, police said. Many were carrying objects that could be used as projectiles, according to police, who searched protesters as they arrived at the Place de la Bastille. The march was initially banned but ministers reversed their decision after a public uproar. The last protest in Paris earlier this month ended in violence. Hundreds of masked protesters on 14 June threw paving stones and a children's hospital in central Paris was badly damaged. Union officials said 60,000 people were at the Paris march, but police said there were 20,000 demonstrators.
Protests were also being held in other French cities, with reports of damage in the north-western city of Rennes. [308]

At least 35 people have died after heavy rains and floods triggered landslides in the Indonesian province of Central Java. The landslides buried dozens of homes, and floodwaters inundated thousands of houses, said Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman for the Indonesian Disaster Management Agency. An additional 25 people remain missing, the agency said. [309]

Tens of thousands of demonstrators have gathered on the Japanese island of Okinawa to protest against the heavy US military presence there. The protestors are angry after a former US Marine employed as a civilian worker was arrested over the rape and murder of a local 20-year-old woman.
The case has intensified longstanding opposition to the military bases, spurring calls for US military personnel to be moved off the island. [310]

Brazil, along with many destinations in the Americas, is experiencing an outbreak of Zika virus. Because Zika virus infection in pregnant women can cause serious birth defects, Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has special recommendations for pregnant women traveling to Brazil. [311]

Ethiopia and Eritrea have exchanged accusations over who started Sunday's fighting at their disputed border. Ethiopia's Information Minister Getachew Reda described the clashes in the Tsorona area as "an Eritrean initiative". Earlier, the Eritrean government said that Ethiopia had "unleashed" the attack. A peace deal in 2000 ended the countries' two-year war border war but it has not been fully implemented. [312]

At least 11 people have been killed and several wounded in a car bomb attack in central Istanbul. A bus carrying Turkish police officers appeared to be the target of the blast, which struck during Tuesday morning's rush hour in the historic Beyazit Square district near Istanbul University and tourist sites. [313]

Frenchman planning Euro 2016 attacks arrested

Frenchman planning Euro 2016 attacks arrested

06 Jun

A Frenchman detained last month with a large cache of arms was planning mass attacks during the Euro 2016 football tournament, which starts on Friday, Ukrainian officials say. The man, identified by French media as Gregoire Moutaux, 25, was arrested on the Ukrainian border with Poland. Intelligence chief Vasyl Hrytsak said the man had planned 15 attacks and was driven by ultra-nationalist views. [314]

Severe weather has battered parts of eastern Australia. The weather system pushed across southern parts of Queensland, intensifying as it did so. Southeastern parts of the state were the worst hit. According to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, 382mm of rain was reported at Upper Springbrook on the Gold Coast and 357mm was reported at Mount Tamborine. This vast amount of rain caused major flooding. Numerous roads were inundated and became impassable, including the major Bruce Highway. As the rain strengthened, the winds also picked up. Thousands of homes suffered power cuts, the majority of which were on the Gold Coast. The strongest gust was nearly 100 kilometres per hour at Cape Moreton. As the system pushed southwards into New South Wales, it continued to produce severe weather. A gust of wind of 117kph was reported in Sydney Harbour, and across Sydney the winds were intense. More than 100 power lines were ripped down, the roof was torn off an apartment block and numerous trees were also brought down. The system is expected to become even more dangerous over the coming hours, as an area of low pressure develops off the coast of New South Wales. The winds will intensify and the wave heights are expected to reach up to eight metres in some areas. [315]

At least 15 people have been killed and more than 40 others were injured in bombings targeting a police checkpoint, a restaurant and two markets in and around Baghdad, Iraqi officials said. The deadliest incident occurred when a suicide bomber detonated his explosives at a checkpoint in Tarmiyah, about 50km north of the capital, killing eight people and wounding 15 others. In a separate development, the Iraqi army reported it managed to chase out the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group from a suburb of Fallujah, which lies just 50km west of Baghdad, after fierce clashes. [316]

At least 30 soldiers from Niger and two Nigerian troops were killed in a Boko Haram attack on Niger's border with Nigeria, Niger's defence ministry said. "On Friday, hundreds of assailants of Boko Haram attacked" the position of the army of Bosso, the ministry said in a statement on Saturday, giving a "provisional toll" of 32 soldiers killed and 67 wounded. The town of Bosso is part of the Diffa region, where many refugees and internally displaced people have sought shelter from Boko Haram violence elsewhere. The region has been targeted numerous times in attacks blamed on Boko Haram fighters. Around 200 people took to the streets on Saturday in Niger's capital Niamey to voice support for Diffa's population, calling for an audit of military spending as they denounced a "lack of results" from army action. [317]

Thousands of people have marched in Warsaw, protesting against Poland's conservative government, 27 years since the fall of communism. Opposition leaders, including two former presidents, led the rally against what they describe as the government's anti-democratic policies. The ruling Law and Justice party has been criticised by the European Union over its reforms of the judiciary, surveillance, and media laws. The opposition said about 50,000 people took part in the protest. Police estimated about 10,000 people were on the streets. [318]

AThe death toll from the flooding in France has risen to four, officials said Saturday, as the water level of the rain-swollen River Seine slowly started to decrease after forcing the closure of several Paris landmarks. From a peak of 6.10 metres in the early hours of Saturday, the river began to subside, falling to 5.99 metres at 5pm local time, the environment ministry's Vigicrues flood watch website said. But authorities warned it could take up to ten days for the river to return to normal after swelling to its highest level in nearly 35 years. The death toll from the flooding across the country has risen to four while 24 people have been injured, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said after a meeting at a government crisis centre. [319]

Floodwaters in Paris continue to rise with the River Seine due to hit a peak of up to 6.5m (21ft) later on Friday. The world-famous Louvre and Orsay museums have been shut so staff can move priceless artworks to safety. The number of dead in the floods has now risen to at least 15 - 10 in southern Germany, two each in France and Romania and one in Belgium. More downpours are forecast for the weekend across a band of central Europe from France to Ukraine. Several towns in southern Germany have been devastated. Belgium, Austria, the Netherlands and Poland have also been affected. Thousands of people have been forced from their homes. [320]

At least 24 people have been killed and 40 others injured during clashes between police and squatters in the northern Indian town of Mathura. Clashes broke out on Thursday as police tried to evict several thousand former members of a religious sect who had occupied a public park for two years. Two senior police officers were among those killed overnight. [321]

Europe floods

Europe floods

02 Jun

10 dead amid fears of fresh heavy rainfall. In the worst incident, the bodies of three women from the same family were found in a flooded basement in southern Germany. Some parts of central France have seen their worst floods in over a century. The Seine burst its banks in Paris. [322]

Shooting at UCLA

Shooting at UCLA

01 Jun

Two people are dead and the campus is on lockdown following a shooting at the University of California at Los Angeles, police say. Story is developing [323]

May

Malaysia has fired 15 immigration officers, accusing them of sabotaging passport systems to let in certain travellers undetected. Suspicions were raised after computer systems at Malaysian airports crashed several times a day. The 15 are accused of deliberately taking them offline, allowing people to bypass criminal background checks. [324]

Euro 2016 could be terrorist target

Euro 2016 could be terrorist target

31 May

The US has warned that the Euro 2016 football championships being held in France next month could be a target of militant attacks. "The large number of tourists visiting Europe in the summer months will present greater targets for terrorists," the State Department said. The event is being hosted from 10 June - 12 July at various venues. [325]

Rescue efforts are underway in Myanmar's jade-producing area after a landslide killed at least 12 people with fears that there may be as many as 100 others buried under the rubble. The disaster happened at Hpakant, a town in the northern state of Kachin. Billions of dollars of jade are mined in Hpakant each year. Most of it is for the lucrative Chinese market. However, the industry is unregulated and landslides are common. Dozens of people were killed by a landslide in the Hpakant area in December and in November more than 100 were killed. [326]

Volcano eruption covers villages in ash

Volcano eruption covers villages in ash

24 May

A thick layer of ash has covered several villages in Indonesia after the eruption of Mount Sinabung on Sumatra island. At least seven people died after clouds of hot ash and gas consumed farmland around the mountain on Sunday.
Rescuers are still searching for survivors. The ash reached towns 12km (seven miles) away, local military head Agustatius Sitepu told AFP, including Gamber village in North Sumatra. [327]

Deadly blasts rock Assad strongholds

Deadly blasts rock Assad strongholds

23 May

A series of car and suicide bombings has hit two government strongholds on Syria's Mediterranean coast.
State media said at least 78 people were killed, while a monitoring group put the death toll at more than 120.BBC News

Libyan coastguards say they intercepted boats carrying 850 migrants trying to reach Europe on Sunday. A spokesman said the migrants from various African countries - including 79 women, 11 of them pregnant - were found in seven inflatable boats near Sabratha, west of the capital Tripoli. BBC News

A city in India's Rajasthan state has broken the country's temperature records after registering 51C(123.8F), the highest since records began, the weather office says. The new record in Phalodi in the desert state comes amid a heatwave across India. BBC News

Debris and body parts have been found in the Mediterranean Sea by teams searching for a missing EgyptAir plane, Greek and Egyptian officials say. Flight MS804 was en route from Paris to Cairo with 66 passengers and crew when it vanished early on Thursday. Items including seats and luggage have also been retrieved by Egyptian search crews.BBC News

The Zika virus strain responsible for the outbreaks in Brazil has been detected in Africa for the first time, the World Health Organization says. The WHO said it was concerned that the latest strain was spreading and was "on the doorstep of Africa". It is currently circulating in Cape Verde, an archipelago off the north west coast of Africa. BBC News

Nearly 300 pregnant women in the US have tested positive for Zika virus, according to the latest figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In the US, 157 pregnant women have tested positive for the disease and 122 have tested positive in US territories. Until now, the agency had not reported the number of women infected by the diseases in the US and its territories. BBC News

Green Zone protests end in violence

Green Zone protests end in violence

20 May

The Iraqi army has declared a curfew in Baghdad after security forces opened fire to stop protesters storming the Green Zone, reportedly injuring dozens. They fired tear gas and live bullets to drive back the mainly Shia Muslim crowds, as they protested against corruption and security failures. Shia Muslim cleric Moqtada Sadr condemned the use of force.It was the second time this month that protesters had managed to break into the city's government area. [328]

EgyptAir flight MS804 from Paris to Cairo disappears from radar. The Airbus A320 went missing over the eastern Mediterranean, soon after entering Egyptian airspace. The Egyptian military has denied a report from EgyptAir that a distress signal was sent by the plane. [329]

Thai authorities are set to close the island of Koh Tachai, saying heavy tourism is negatively affecting natural resources and the environment. The island, off Phang Nga province, is part of the Similan National Park. Almost all Thai marine national parks close to tourists from mid-May to mid-October for monsoon season but Tachai will not reopen, the Bangkok Post says. The park is popular with tourists and divers - who will still have access to a few dive sites in the area.BBC News

Around 12,000 people have been urged to leave Canada's oil sands camps near the fire-hit town of Fort McMurray as a resurgent wildfire heads towards them. A regional official told the BBC that 8,000 people were given precautionary evacuation orders late on Monday, in addition to some 4,000 who had already been advised to leave.BBC News

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro declared a 60-day state of emergency on Friday due to what he called plots from within the OPEC country and the United States to topple his leftist government. Maduro did not provide details of the measure. A previous state of emergency, implemented in states near the Colombian border last year, suspended constitutional guarantees in those areas, except for guarantees relating to human rights. Venezuela's opposition is seeking to recall the unpopular leader, 53, amid a worsening crisis that includes food and medicine shortages, frequent power cuts, sporadic looting and galloping inflation. But the former union leader and bus driver has vowed to stick out his term, and accuses the United States of fomenting an undercover coup against him. [330]

Thousands of Bosnian Serbs gathered for rival demonstrations for and against the government in the capital of Bosnia's autonomous Serb region on Saturday, kept apart by ranks of police after warnings of violence. Police reinforcements and demonstrators' cars flying Serb Republic flags in support of the government streamed towards Banja Luka, where buses had already arrived with supporters of both factions. Authorities banned both sides from marching through the city to avoid confrontations in the politically charged atmosphere in the build-up to local elections in October. [331]

Spain tire fire creates toxic cloud

Spain tire fire creates toxic cloud

13 May

A huge fire at a tyre dump in Spain has sent a "toxic cloud" of black smoke into the air, and residents have been told to keep windows and doors shut. Emergency services were called to the town of Sesena, 35 km (22 miles) south of Madrid, at 01:00 local time (23:00 GMT on Thursday).
They sent 10 teams of fire-fighters, who have battled the blaze all day.BBC News

Ride-sharing firms Uber and Lyft have stopped operating in Austin, Texas after proposals to let them self-regulate their drivers were rejected. The companies had sought to overturn city council regulations which meant drivers had to pass fingerprint-based background checks before they could operate. However, when put to a public vote, the regulations, introduced in December 2015, were upheld.BBC News

A massive wildfire in Alberta, Canada, has moved south, forcing more evacuations on Thursday. The fire is now 85,000 hectares, or 850 sq km, which is larger than the city of Calgary. It has grown five times its initial size since it broke out, prompting more than 88,000 evacuations. BBC News

At least three people were wounded, two seriously, when shots were fired in the German city of Frankfurt on Thursday. Police said that someone opened fire from a passing car and witnesses spoke of up to a dozen shots being fired close to the main police station.BBC News

Dozens of people are reported to have been killed in fierce clashes between rebel groups and government forces in the divided Syrian city of Aleppo. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said rebels advanced into government-held western districts overnight but were pushed back by Wednesday morning. BBC News

A wildfire has brought "significant destruction" to the Canadian city of Fort McMurray, with 1,600 structures affected, the premier of the province of Alberta says. Rachel Notley said the fire was still on the move, with more communities, including the airport area, in danger. Fire services said the high winds and hot temperatures would make Wednesday an "even worse day" than Tuesday. BBC News

A US cruise ship has docked in the Cuban capital, Havana, after sailing from Florida - the first such crossing in more than 50 years.
The Adonia sailed from the port of Miami carrying some 700 passengers. Cuba and the US restored diplomatic relations last year. But several Cold War-era restrictions on travelling and trading are yet to be lifted. BBC News

April

The Yemeni port city of Mukalla, controlled by al-Qaeda militants for a year, has been recaptured by Yemeni and Saudi-led coalition forces. The coalition says 800 militants were killed in the first hours of a joint operation across the south of Yemen. But Mukalla residents said there had been little fighting in the city, with the militants apparently withdrawing. [332]

Police officers came under attack in a two-hour gunfight in the Mexican city of Acapulco, officials say. Several gunmen attacked a hotel where officers stay, in the tourist area Las Playas on Sunday evening. Dozens of people had to shelter in shops while shooting continued, until after 23:00 local time (04:00 GMT). [333]

The Brussels metro station where 16 people were killed by a suicide bomber last month has re-opened. A bomb was detonated on board a train pulling out of Maelbeek station, close to the European institutions, in the morning rush hour on 22 March. The attack followed suicide bombs at Brussels airport which also killed 16. BBC News

At least 23 people have died from eating contaminated sweets in central Pakistan, police say. The deaths began last week after a man in Punjab province bought the treats to celebrate the birth of his son. He and 11 other relatives are among the dead - in all 77 people were affected. Five remain in a serious condition. BBC News

Egypt's president has warned against what he called attempts to destabilise the state, ahead of planned anti-government protests. In a televised address, Abdul Fattah al-Sisi said "evil" forces were conspiring against the country but would not succeed. BBC News

A large explosion at an oil facility in the south-east Mexican state of Veracruz has killed at least three people and injured 136 more. The blast hit a facility owned by Mexico's state oil company, Pemex, in the port city of Coatzacoalcos. Hundreds of people have been evacuated and schools closed. Footage showed a large fire and vast plumes of smoke. The cause of the blast is unclear. Several explosions have been reported at Pemex facilities in recent years. [334]

2.2 billion people in at risk Zika areas

2.2 billion people in at risk Zika areas

21 Apr

More than two billion people live in parts of the world where the Zika virus can spread, detailed maps published in the journal eLife show. The Zika virus, which is spread by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, triggered a global health emergency this year. Last week the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that the virus causes severe birth defects. The latest research showed mapping Zika was more complex than simply defining where the mosquito can survive.
[335]

At least 330 million people are affected by drought in India, the government has told the Supreme Court
Authorities say this number is likely to rise further given that some states with water shortages have not yet submitted status reports. The drought is taking place as a heat wave extends across much of India with temperatures crossing 40C for days now. India is heavily dependant on monsoon rains, which have been poor for two years in a row. The government said that nearly 256 districts across India, home to nearly a quarter of the population were impacted by the drought. Schools have been shut in the eastern state of Orissa and more than 100 deaths due to heatstroke have been reported from across the country, including from the southern states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh which saw more than 2,000 deaths last summer. [336]

More than a foot of rain fell Monday in parts of Houston, submerging scores of subdivisions and several major interstate highways, forcing the closure of schools and knocking out power to thousands of residents who were urged to shelter in place. Sylvester Turner, mayor of the nation's fourth-largest city, told residents to stay home to fend off a weather system he called "stubborn." More rain was projected over the next two to three days. [337]

At least 235 people have been confirmed dead and over 1,500 people injured after Ecuador was hit by its most powerful earthquake in decades. Some 10,000 troops and 3,500 police are being deployed in the affected areas, as rescue operations got under way. The magnitude-7.8 quake struck early on Saturday evening. Coastal areas in the north-west were closest to the epicentre and officials say the death toll is likely to rise as information begins to come in. At least 500 people were injured in the quake, which was felt across the country. Widespread severe damage is reported, with a bridge destroyed as far south as Guayaquil about 300km (190 miles) away. [338]

Japan is struggling to restore services in the south-western island of Kyushu after it was hit by two powerful earthquakes. Some 180,000 people are set to spend a third night in temporary shelters, including cars and tents. More than 62,000 homes remain without electricity and 300,000 homes have no water, Japanese media report. At least 11 people are still missing following the quakes which killed 41 people and wounded hundreds. Rescuers used improved weather on Sunday to fly helicopters to the worst-affected areas of Kumamoto prefecture as tremors continued. [339]

An earthquake has struck southern Japan, injuring several people seriously and possibly leaving others trapped beneath collapsed houses, authorities say. No tsunami warning was issued after the magnitude 6.4 quake. It struck at 21:26 (12:26 GMT) east of Kumamoto city, on the island of Kyushu, the Japan Meteorological Agency says. The two Sendai nuclear reactors on Kyushu are reported to be operating as normal. The three Genkai nuclear reactors still in operation on the island were already closed for routine inspection. [340]

Two thousand Zimbabwean opposition supporters, some holding placards calling for 92-year-old President Robert Mugabe to resign, have rallied in the capital Harare. Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai called for countrywide demonstrations against the deteriorating economy. The march went ahead after a ruling by the High Court. Police had initially denied permission. It is the biggest such protest in many years. [341]

A strong earthquake has struck Myanmar, the US Geological Survey reports, with tremors in India] and China sending residents out into the streets. The 6.9 magnitude quake took place at a depth of 135km (84 miles) north-west of Mandalay. Casualties have been reported in north-east India. It could be felt in the north-east Indian state of Assam, where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are staying. [342]

Food shortage fears over a drought in southern Africa have prompted Malawi to declare a state of national disaster and Mozambique to issue a "red alert". The President of Malawi, Peter Mutharika, warned in a statement some people needed aid for all of this year. Mozambique raised alert levels for southern and central regions. [343]

A heatwave across most of India has led to a hotter than usual summer in much of the country. Dozens of deaths have been reported in the south Indian states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh and the city of Bhubaneswar in Orissa experienced its hottest April day on record on Monday, temperatures peaking at 45.8C. The run-up to the Indian monsoon season is always characterised by weeks of strong sunshine and increasing heat but this year, life-threatening temperature levels have set in rather earlier and more widely than normal. The heatwave extends across much of northern India with temperatures having exceeded 40C for several days in a row. And many parts of that interior are baked dry, following a poor monsoon season in 2015 due to the strong El Nino event in the Pacific. [344]

A truce aimed at ending more than a year of war in Yemen appears to be largely holding, despite reports of fighting in several places. The UN-brokered "cessation of hostilities" came into effect at midnight (21:00 GMT on Sunday). But soon afterwards, the government accused Houthi rebels of violations in the south-western city of Taiz and in Marib, east of the capital Sanaa. The truce is supposed to set the scene for peace talks in Kuwait next week. More than 6,300 people have been killed since the conflict in Yemen escalated in March 2015, when a Saudi-led coalition began a military campaign to defeat the rebels and restore the internationally-recognised government. [345]

Pirates have attacked a Turkish cargo ship off the coast of Nigeria kidnapping six of the crew, says the Nigerian navy. The ship carrying chemicals was believed to be travelling from Gabon to Ivory Coast. The pirates attacked the ship late at night as it was sailing close to the oil-rich Niger Delta. Analysts say winding down an amnesty to former Niger Delta militants has resulted in an increase in piracy. [346]

At least 80 people have died of heatstroke in the south Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Temperatures in the states have risen as high as 45C and customary April rains have been delayed. State officials have said however, that the state was not suffering from a heatwave as there was no "abnormality" in temperature for this time of year. Over 2,000 people are estimated to have died in a heatwave that swept the two states last year. [347]

Syrian government forces have launched a counter-offensive to retake a village south of the city of Aleppo recently captured by jihadist militants. Troops and militiamen from Lebanon's Hezbollah movement began the assault on al-Eis overnight, backed by heavy air strikes, opposition activists say. Al-Eis was seized by the al Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front on Monday. The fighting was said to be the fiercest in the area since the partial truce declared five weeks ago. The cessation of hostilities has largely held despite both sides accusing each other of breaches and has resulted in a significant reduction in violence across much of Syria. [348]

The governor of Mississippi has signed a controversial bill that allows businesses to refuse service to gay couples based on religious beliefs. Governor Phil Bryant signed HB1523 into law on Tuesday amid opposition from equal rights groups and businesses. He said the bill "protects sincerely held religious beliefs and moral convictions". Protesters say the bill would allow for lawful discrimination of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.[349]

Greece paused deportations of migrants to Turkey on Tuesday, a day after the first boats took back 202 people under a controversial EU plan to cut off a migrant route to Europe. Hundreds more are due to be removed later this week, but the migrants are arriving in Greece faster than they can be sent back.[350]

Brussels airport has reopened for three "symbolic" flights amid tight security controls, 12 days after an attack by suicide bombers killed 16 people there. Three Brussels Airlines flights were scheduled to depart for European destinations. The first left at 11:40 GMT for Faro in Portugal.
Passengers were screened on an approach road and again before check in. Attacks on the airport and a Brussels metro station by so-called Islamic State on 22 March left 32 people dead. Airport workers gathered at Zaventem to watch the first flight take off. Under the new security arrangements:

Vehicles and passengers travelling to the temporary departures area will be screened on the access road. Special cameras will check number plates

An additional police check and ID and boarding pass check will take place at the entrance to the temporary departures area. Those not flying will not be allowed in.

Passengers will then proceed towards the departure gates, undergoing the usual access and security controls. [351]

Azerbaijan has announced a "unilateral ceasefire" in fighting with Armenian forces over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. A defence ministry spokesman said the Azeris were acting in response to international calls to halt violence. But the Armenia-backed Karabakh forces said this was false and Azerbaijan was continuing to fire shells. Nagorno-Karabakh has been in the hands of ethnic-Armenian separatists since a war that ended in 1994. Fighting had continued into Sunday, after clashes left 30 soldiers dead and caused civilian casualties. [352]

A 6.9 magnitude earthquake has struck off the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu. The US Geological Survey said the quake struck at 08:23 GMT, 420km (260 miles) north-west of the capital, Port Vila. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said the threat of tsunami waves had now mostly passed. The USGS said the quake was fairly shallow - at a depth of about 35km (21 miles) - but no damage had been reported so far. The quake, originally measured at 7.2, struck in the north of Vanuatu off Espiritu Santo. Quakes are fairly common in the region. Two similar sized tremors last October and December caused no damage. [353]

March

At least 10 people have been killed and several others injured after a flyover under construction collapsed in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata (Calcutta), officials say. Reports suggest as many as 150 could be trapped under the concrete and steel bridge, which fell on a busy road. Images showed residents using their bare hands to help the rescue effort. Construction projects in India have often suffered from safety issues with frequent collapses. Experts say there is a lack of inspections and substandard materials are used. [354]

EgyptAir hijack ends in surrender

EgyptAir hijack ends in surrender

29 Mar

A hijacking that diverted a domestic Egyptian flight to Cyprus has ended with all hostages released and the hijacker surrendering. EgyptAir Flight MS181 was taken over by a passenger claiming to be wearing a suicide explosive belt. Airline officials later said they had been told by Cypriot authorities that the belt was fake. The hijacker's motives remain unclear but the Cypriot president said the incident was not terrorism-related. No-one was injured in the hijacking, Cypriot government spokesman Nikos Christodulides tweeted. [355]

WHO downgrades Ebola

WHO downgrades Ebola

29 Mar

Ebola is no longer an "extraordinary health event" and the risk of the virus spreading is low, the World Health Organization says. It means the disease is not thought to be a public health threat to countries outside of those affected in West Africa. A small cluster of cases are still occurring in Guinea, but Sierra Leone, and Liberia have not had any in months. [356]

A national park in Australia is to fine visitors who disregard warning signs at one of its most popular natural attractions in order to snap social media-worthy photos. A metal safety fence currently blocks access to the spectacular Wedding Cake Rock, a pure white cliff-top platform in Royal National Park near Sydney. But groups of up to 30 people have been spotted clambering over the barrier, apparently unperturbed by warning signs noting that the rock is unstable and "may collapse suddenly without warning", the Sydney Morning Herald reports. Photographs of people wandering around on the rock over the Easter weekend have been posted on Instagram, to the alarm of park authorities. [357]

Gunshots have been reported at the visitor centre at the US Capitol in Washington D.C. and workers have been told to take shelter. The Capitol's Sergeant-At-Arms said the gunman has been caught and one police officer was wounded. The Capitol building is on lockdown due to the security threat, according to an email sent to congressional staffers. Washington's city police called it an "isolated" incident, saying there is "no active threat" to the public. [358]

Storm Katie has battered large parts of England, leaving flights cancelled, property damaged and thousands of people without power. Flights bound for Gatwick and Heathrow were diverted to other airports and dozens were cancelled as gusts of up to 106mph hit the south of the country. More than 200,000 homes were without power at the height of the winds, with thousands still awaiting reconnection. [359]

Syrian government forces have advanced into Palmyra on several fronts backed by air strikes and artillery, a monitoring group has said. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the fighting was the most intense yet seen in the army's campaign to recapture the city from so-called Islamic State (IS). IS seized the Unesco World Heritage site and adjoining modern town in May. It destroyed archaeological sites, drawing global outrage. Two 2,000-year-old temples, an arch and funerary towers were left in ruins. [361]

Zika World Cup theory dismissed

Zika World Cup theory dismissed

24 Mar

The Zika virus arrived in South America a year before the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, say British and Brazilian scientists. Their study effectively dismisses one of the most popular theories about the outbreak's origins - that it was brought over by football fans. The findings, published in the journal Science, suggest the virus arrived between May and December 2013.[362]

Indians are celebrating Holi, the Hindu festival of colours which comes at the end of the winter season and marks the beginning of spring. Some of the biggest celebrations take place in the temples of Vrindavan, a town in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, where, according to legend, the Hindu god Krishna played Holi with his consort Radha. The festival is celebrated over two days[363]

Belgian security forces and French police are hunting for at least two men after shots were fired at police during a counter-terrorism raid in Brussels. Three officers were reportedly hurt, one of them seriously. Streets in the suburb of Forest have been sealed off. [366]

US troops took part in a raid on the Islamist al-Shabab group alongside Somali troops, American officials say. Al-Shabab earlier said it had "fought off" an attack by foreign forces but US officials said several militants were killed in the raid early on Wednesday. Several countries have been supporting Somali officials in their efforts to combat al-Shabab's insurgency.[368]

Macedonia has said it will no longer let any migrants through its border with Greece, effectively blocking the Balkan route north. The decision came after Slovenia barred access to migrants transiting the country. Croatia and Serbia then said they would follow suit. Some 13,000 migrants are now stranded at the Macedonia-Greece border. The moves come after the EU and Turkey set out a plan to ease Europe's biggest refugee crisis since World War Two. [369]

Severe flooding has caused widespread disruption across parts of central England, with rail passengers stranded and many schools shut. British Transport Police formed human barriers in front of the main concourse at London Euston after trains between Rugby and Milton Keynes were cancelled. Passengers were warned people could be killed as some had fallen from earlier trains on Wednesday. [370]

US strike kills Somali militants

US strike kills Somali militants

7 Mar

A US air strike has killed more than 150 al-Shabab militants in Somalia, the Pentagon says. Spokesman Captain Jeff Davis said the strike hit a training camp where a "large-scale" attack was being planned. "We know they were going to be departing the camp and they posed an imminent threat to US and [African Union] forces," Captain Davis said. [371]

February

The US embassy in Baghdad has warned the risk of the Mosul Dam collapsing is "serious and unprecedented" and has urged people to be ready to evacuate. Maintenance work was disrupted after the dam was briefly seized by militants from so-called Islamic State in 2014. If the dam burst, floodwaters could kill 1.47 million Iraqis living along the River Tigris, the embassy said. Iraq's prime minister has said precautions are being taken, but that such a scenario is "highly unlikely". The dam, Iraq's largest has suffered from structural flaws since its completion in 1984, with the water constantly eating away at the soluble gypsum base on which it is built. [372]

Macedonian police have fired tear gas at a crowd of migrants who destroyed a barbed-wire fence on the Greek border using a makeshift battering ram. TV footage showed migrants pushing against the fence at Idomeni in Greece, ripping away barbed wire. A section of fence was smashed open with a metal signpost. It is unclear if any migrants crossed the border. About 7,000 people are stuck on the Greek side of the border, as Macedonia is letting very few in. The chaos on Monday erupted as hundreds of people pushed their way past Greek police, shouting "Open the border!", to reach the gate used to let trains through at the border crossing. Some threw stones at Macedonian riot police. [373]

At least 30 people have been killed in an air strike on a market near the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, witnesses say. Residents said at least 30 people were injured, most of them civilians, the Reuters news agency reported. It is not clear who carried out the strike, but Houthi rebels have accused the Saudi-led coalition. The Saudi offensive is aimed at restoring the government and driving back rebels loyal to ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh. Some 6,000 people have been killed since the start of the campaign last March, about half of them civilians, according to the UN. [374]

Militants have stormed a hotel in the Somali capital Mogadishu, leaving at least nine people dead, in an attack claimed by al-Shabab. The attackers set off a car bomb outside the heavily fortified Somali Youth League hotel before moving in. An explosion also targeted a popular park known as the Peace Garden. Police say the attack is now over after they shot and killed four attackers. Al-Shabab, an al-Qaeda affiliate, is waging an armed insurgency in Somalia. [375]

A suicide bomber has killed at least 10 people in an attack near a market in the eastern Afghan province of Kunar, officials say. The provincial governor's office said the bomber rode up on a motorcycle to the entrance of a government office in the provincial capital Asadabad before detonating his device. In recent months, there has been an upsurge in fighting between the Taliban and government forces. [376]

At least three people were killed as several powerful tornadoes hit the southern United States on Tuesday. Tornadoes lashed Louisiana, Mississippi, and Florida, destroying homes and businesses. The deaths occurred when mobile homes were destroyed in Louisiana and Mississippi, officials said. Meteorologists said the storm system could hit Alabama, Georgia, the Carolinas and Virginia later on Wednesday. [377]

Water supply has been partially restored in the Indian capital, Delhi, where up to 10 million were affected after protesters sabotaged a key canal. The army took control of the Munak canal in neighbouring Haryana state on Monday after Jat community members, angry at caste job quotas, damaged it. Delhi Water Minister Kapil Mishra said the "crisis was still not over" and urged people to use water carefully.[378]

At least 3,000 barrels of crude oil have been spilled in an Amazonian region after leaks from Peru's main oil pipeline, the state oil company said. The oil has polluted two rivers that at least eight indigenous communities rely on for water, the government and indigenous leaders said. Petroperu has promised a full clean-up and is also providing food and water.[379]

More than 10 million people in India's capital, Delhi, are without water after protesters sabotaged a key canal which supplies much of the city. The army took control of the Munak canal after Jat community protesters, angry at caste job quotas, seized it. All Delhi's schools have been closed because of the water crisis. Sixteen people have been killed and hundreds hurt in three days of riots. [380]

A clean-up operation has begun after the most severe cyclone to hit Fiji in living memory killed at least 20. Rescue workers said that number could rise as some of the worst-hit outlying islands have yet to be reached. Thousands are now in evacuation centres while many parts of the country remain without power. Cyclone Winston, which hit over the weekend, brought winds of over 320km/h (200mph), torrential rain, and waves of up to 12m (40ft). [381]

The Indian capital Delhi is on the brink of a severe water crisis after a key supply was cut during protests over jobs in a neighbouring state. Demonstrators from the Jat community damaged equipment in the Munak canal, a major source of water to Delhi. The city has introduced strict water rationing. Some areas could run dry on Sunday, officials warned, and schools will not open on Monday. Protesters want guaranteed jobs under India's caste quota system. [382]

Authorities in Fiji are assessing the damage after the most powerful storm left at least five people dead. Cyclone Winston brought winds of over 320km/h (200mph), torrential rain and waves of up to 12m (40ft). It destroyed hundreds of homes and cut electricity lines. There are reports of entire villages flattened. The government has imposed a nationwide curfew and 30-day state of national disaster giving extra powers to police to arrest people without a warrant. The Category-five storm - the highest level - moved westward since making landfall at 18:30 local time (06:30 GMT) on Saturday in the north of Fiji's main island, Viti Levu. It changed direction at the last minute, sparing the capital Suva the full force of its winds. The government had opened about 750 evacuation centres. More than 1,000 people were sheltering in one on the second largest island of Vanua Levu, north-east of Viti Levu, the Fiji Broadcasting Company said. [383]

Kenya's capital, Nairobi, is on alert after several lions escaped from a nearby national park overnight and strayed into the city. One lioness and her two cubs have been recaptured, and two other animals are believed to have gone back into the Nairobi National Park on their own accord. But it is not clear whether more lions remain on the loose. Residents have been told to report any sightings to a free telephone line. [384]

A rare phenomenon known as "firefall" has drawn visitors and photographers to Yosemite National Park in California. The stunning visual display happens every February when the light hits a waterfall tumbling down El Capitan. But the intensity of this phenomenon depends on the volume of water and the cloud cover. [385]

A leaking gas well near the US city of Los Angeles which has been polluting the air for four months has been "permanently sealed," officials say. The Southern California Gas Company (SoCal Gas) had been pumping in heavy fluids and cement to seal the well. The leak began in October in a vast underground storage field in Porter Ranch, on the outskirts of Los Angeles. The gas leak, one of the largest in American history, has caused thousands to relocate to temporary housing. [386]

A large explosion in the Turkish capital, Ankara, has left at least 28 people dead and 61 injured, Turkish officials have said. A vehicle full of explosives was detonated as military buses were passing by, according to the Ankara governor's office. The blast happened in an area close to parliament and Turkey's military headquarters. Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag called an "act of terrorism". Large plumes of smoke were seen rising from the area and witnesses said the blast was heard all over the city. Some of the victims were civilians. [387]

France's decision to extend the state of emergency was passed on slim evidence that it would be effective in reducing the "terror" threat, rights groups and activists have said. Widely expected, the French parliament on Tuesday voted for a three-month extension until May 26, allowing authorities to keep carrying out warrantless police raids and putting people under house arrest without prior authorisation of a judge. Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve argued in Tuesday's debate that the threat of new "terrorist" violence remains very high. [388]

Thousands of Kosovo's opposition supporters have called for the government to resign on the eighth anniversary of the country's declaration of independence, accusing it of violating the country's constitution in reaching deals with Serbia and Montenegro. Opposition supporters came from all over the country to Pristina for the rally on Wednesday. [389]

Burundi has banned the use of commercial motorbikes from the centre of the capital, Bujumbura, in a bid to end violence in the city. Motorcycle taxis, a common form of transport in the city, are being used by criminals to carry out attacks, Bujumbura's mayor Freddy Mbonimpa said. One person was killed on Monday when men on motorbikes threw three grenades. Burundi plunged into crisis last April when President Pierre Nkurunziza announced his third-term bid.
His decision sparked street protests, a failed coup attempt and tit-for-tat killings have become part of daily lives in some parts of the capital. [390]

Cliffs have collapsed in New Zealand during an earthquake in the city of Christchurch on the South Island. No serious damage or fatalities were reported in the Valentine's Day quake that struck at 13:13 local time (00.13 GMT). Beaches to the east of Christchurch were busy with swimmers and surfers when rocks began to fall into the sea. The 5.7 magnitude quake occurred days before the anniversary of a deadly one in 2011. That destroyed the city centre and killed 185 people. New Zealand lies on the notorious Ring of Fire, the line of frequent quakes and volcanic eruptions that circles virtually the entire Pacific rim. [391]

A battle between rival groups at a prison near Monterrey in northern Mexico has left 49 inmates dead. Nuevo Leon state Governor Jaime Rodriguez said 12 other people were injured in Topo Chico jail after prisoners fought with "sharp weapons, bats and sticks". A fire was also started in a storage room. Officials say the situation is under control and no inmates escaped. Crowds of relatives outside the jail blocked roads, demanding information. [392]

A 34-year-old man who recently travelled to South America has become China's first confirmed case of Zika virus infection, reports state media. China's National Health and Family Planning Commission said the man was from Ganxian county in the eastern province of Jiangxi, Xinhua said. The virus is carried by mosquitoes and has been linked to birth defects. But Chinese authorities have downplayed the risk of it spreading there, because of the winter cold.[393]

About 15,000 homes are without power after Storm Imogen's heavy rain and high-speed winds battered Britain. The brunt of the bad weather affected south-west England and south and mid-Wales - which is where the majority of homes without electricity are. Waves of up to 19.1m (63ft) have been measured off the Cornish coast, and winds of 70-80mph felt in many areas. Rail services are disrupted, some cross-Channel ferries cancelled and drivers urged to take extra care.[394]

At least 24 people have died in recent days in central Java, Indonesia, from drinking illegally-produced alcohol. Most died after buying the black-market spirits, made from ethanol, water and fruit, from a couple in Sleman, north of Yogyakarta city. Several people were also taken to hospital. The alleged maker and seller of the drink has been arrested.[395]

Spain has confirmed that a pregnant woman has been diagnosed with the Zika virus - the first such case in Europe. The health ministry said the woman had recently returned from Colombia, where it is believed she was infected. Zika, which is spreading through the Americas, has been linked to babies being born with underdeveloped brains. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the microcephaly condition, linked to the mosquito-borne virus, a global public health emergency. [396]

A rare case of the Zika virus being sexually transmitted, not from a mosquito, has been reported in the US. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed a patient was infected in Dallas County, Texas. A patient was apparently infected after having sexual contact with someone who returned from a country where the disease is present. Zika is carried by mosquitoes and has been linked to thousands of babies being born with underdeveloped brains. It is spreading through the Americas and the World Health Organization has declared the virus a global public health emergency. [397]

January

At least 50 people have died in blasts near the Shia shrine of Sayyida Zeinab, south of Syria's capital Damascus.
A bus station and a building housing military headquarters were hit by the blasts, which mangled nearby vehicles. It happened as the government and opposition groups gathered in Geneva in a bid to start talks aimed at a political solution to the conflict. The attack, claimed by the Islamic State group, was aimed at disrupting the talks, the EU said. [398]

At least 50 people are reported to have been killed in north-eastern Nigeria in a gun and bomb attack by suspected Boko Haram militants. Pictures from the village of Dalori show burned-out buildings and charred livestock. Fires from the burning village could be seen in the the city of Maiduguri, nearly 10km (six miles) away. One witness reported hearing the screams of children as huts were set on fire. Other survivors say the shooting on Saturday evening continued for hours and left barely any parts of the village untouched. Residents said at least 50 people were killed, although a Reuters reporter counted 65 bodies at a hospital morgue. [399]

Unidentified attackers threw a live hand grenade at a migrant hostel in south-western Germany, officials say.
The grenade was found during the night near buildings housing 170 people in the town of Villingen-Schwenningen. Its pin had been pulled out but the explosives failed to detonate. News of the grenade incident came as new figures showed five times more attacks were carried out on migrant hostels in Germany last year than in 2014.
The total for 2015 was 1,005, compared with 199 in 2014, the police report said. Far-right activists are suspected in 90% of the cases. [400]

Millions of commuters across the eastern US are battling into work as transport systems struggle to recover from a huge blizzard.Slippery pavements, crippled train networks, treacherous roads and cancelled flights are among the problems workers are facing on Monday.
The US government in Washington, as well as many schools and businesses throughout the region, are shut.As the clean up begins, at least 31 people have been left dead.The fatalities were as a result of car accidents, carbon monoxide poisoning and heart attacks suffered while shovelling snow. The storm, dubbed "Snowmageddon" and "Snowzilla", has weakened and headed into the Atlantic Ocean. It is expected to bring heavy rain and gale-force winds to the UK. It affected some 85 million people, at one point cutting the power to 300,000 people. The heaviest fall was recorded in Glengary, West Virginia, which had 42in. [401]

At least 25 people are reported to have been killed after suicide bombers struck a town in northern Cameroon near the border with Nigeria.A local official said many of those who died had been in the market in Bodo. At least three suicide bombers were said to be involved. The Nigeria-based militant group Boko Haram is suspected of carrying out the attack. Last month, two female suicide bombers blew themselves up in Bodo. Cameroon is part of a regional coalition fighting Boko Haram, along with Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Benin. Although the militants have been driven from most of the areas they controlled in north-eastern Nigeria, they have continued to carry out suicide bombings and raids into neighbouring countries. [402]

A travel ban on cars in New York City has ended as the east coast of the US begins digging out from the weekend's massive snowstorm. But in Washington DC, the metro is set to remain closed and air travel in the region faces further disruption. As householders dug themselves out of drifts up to 40.5in (103cm) deep, the hazards of shovelling snow were brought home by at least six deaths.A further 12 people have died in other snow-related incidents since Friday.The storm, dubbed Snowmageddon and Snowzilla on social media, is lessening and heading for the Atlantic Ocean. It has affected some 85 million people, cutting power to 200,000 people.
Some 7,000 flights were cancelled this weekend and disruption is to continue into the working week, with at least 615 cancelled for Monday. States of emergency were declared in New York, Tennessee, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, New Jersey, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia. In Kentucky, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, drivers were stranded for hours on snowbound highways.The heaviest fall was recorded in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, which had 40.5in (103 cm). [403]

Syrian government forces say they have seized the last major town held by rebels in western Latakia province.
State TV said Rabia, in rebel hands for four years, was overrun by the army and "popular defence" forces. The head of the Syrian Observatory, Rami Abdel Rahman, told AFP that President Assad's forces had surrounded the town from three sides in the space of 48 hours by capturing several villages. Rabia had been controlled by different groups including al-Nusra - an al-Qaeda affiliate. [404]

The Brazilian authorities have announced plans to prevent the spread of the Zika virus during the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games later this year. An outbreak of the mosquito-borne disease - which is being linked to severe birth defects - has caused growing concern in Brazil and abroad.
Inspections of Olympic facilities will begin four months before the Games to get rid of mosquito breeding grounds. Daily sweeps will also take place during the Games.
But fumigation would only be an option on a case-by-case basis because of concerns for the health of the athletes and visitors. [405]

Thousands of Moldovans are rallying in the country’s capital, Chisinau, demanding the resignation of the newly appointed government and early elections. The protest was organized by two pro-Russian parties and a pro-EU anticorruption movement. A counterrally in support of the government, which was also planned for January 24, has been canceled to avoid possible clashes. Protesters shouted, "We want the country back!" and "Unity, citizens!" in Romanian and Russian. The Associated Press put the number of protesters at some 15,000. Public anger toward what many Moldovans consider a deeply corrupt political class spiked after the appointment on January 20 of Pavel Filip as prime minister. [406]

Popular beachfront restaurants have been hit by car bombs and gunmen in the Somali capital Mogadishu.
The first car bomb went off in the early evening, followed soon after by as many as five gunmen approaching from the beach. A second car bomb went off half an hour later, BBC Somali reports. One report said at least three people had died. The toll is feared to rise. [407]

Security forces have ended a gun and bomb attack on a university in north-west Pakistan in which 19 people were killed and 17 injured. Four suspected attackers also died in a battle that lasted nearly three hours at Bacha Khan University in Charsadda. One Pakistani Taliban commander said the group had carried out the assault, but its main spokesman denied this. [408]

Four terror suspects in Kenya have been killed during a dawn raid on a safe house in the coastal town of Malindi, police in the East African nation say. The officers recovered arms, ammunition and a map of the area detailing future targets for attack, regional police commissioner Nelson Marwa said. Suleiman Awadh, on Kenya's most-wanted list, was among those killed, he said. The Somalia-based al-Shabab Islamist militant group has launched a number of deadly high-profile attacks in Kenya. These include storming a shopping centre the capital, Nairobi, in 2013 and raiding a university in the north-eastern town of Garissa last year. [409]

At least 23 people of 18 different nationalities are now known to have died after Islamist militants attacked a luxury hotel in Burkina Faso. Al-Qaeda militants attacked the Splendid Hotel in the West African state's capital, Ouagadougou, as well as a cafe and another hotel nearby. Four of the attackers were killed, two of them reportedly women. The siege at the Splendid was declared over after a joint operation by local and French security forces. The Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) militant group has said it carried out the attack. [410]

The Venezuelan government has announced a 60-day economic emergency to deal with the country's worsening crisis.
President Nicolas Maduro will govern by decree for two months. The edict includes tax increases and puts emergency measures in place to pay for welfare services and food imports. The government's move came as official figures released by the central bank showed that the Venezuelan economy had contracted by 4.5% in the first nine months of 2015. The emergency was declared hours before President Maduro delivers a State of the Nation address to Congress for the first time since his centre-right opponents took control of the legislature. The decree also instilled more state controls on businesses, industrial productivity and on electronic currency transactions. [411]

A chemical explosion at a cargo warehouse in Brazil has spread toxic gas over the country's biggest port. The company owners said the containers in Santos were full of acid and a disinfectant which came into contact with rainwater, causing a reaction. The area's mayor said at least 66 people were taken to hospital with breathing difficulties. Officials said the fire had been controlled but that there is still smoke in the area. The cargo terminal and nearby homes were evacuated and residents were asked to stay inside.[412]

Sierra Leone officials have confirmed a death from Ebola, hours after the World Health Organization declared the latest West Africa outbreak over.
The country was declared free of the virus on 7 November, and the region as a whole was cleared when Liberia was pronounced Ebola-free on Thursday.
Tests on a person who died in northern Sierra Leone proved positive, an Ebola test centre spokesman told the BBC. [413]

Armed men carried out a series of gun and bomb attacks in the heart of the Indonesian capital of Jakarta. Four attackers were also killed, police said. A manhunt for more suspects is underway.There have so far been no claims of responsibility. [414]

Two French school children and a Ukrainian tourist have been killed in an avalanche at a ski resort in the French Alps, officials say. Three others - two pupils and a teacher - were seriously injured. The two pupils were found in state of cardiac arrest and the teacher was unconscious. All members of the group have now been accounted for by rescue teams. The avalanche struck the group, their teacher and the Ukrainian on a closed piste in the Les Deux Alpes area. [415]

Turkish media report several people killed and wounded by blast in historic Sultanahmet district of city. Ambulances rushed to the scene, close to the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia, in a major tourist area of Turkey’s most populous city.

At least 17 people are reported to have been killed in an attack on a shopping centre in Iraq's capital, Baghdad, during which people were taken hostage. About 20 gunmen stormed the al-Jawhara shopping centre in the mainly Shia al-Jadeda area on Monday evening, after a car bomb exploded outside. Security forces sealed off the area and then stormed the building, killing the assailants and freeing their hostages, an interior ministry spokesman said. It is not clear who the gunmen were.[416]

A massive bushfire in Western Australia that killed two people continues to burn, but milder conditions are helping firefighters bring it under control. The fire engulfed the entire town of Yarloop near Perth last week, destroying at least 128 homes. Police say the bodies of two men in their 70s have been discovered in the debris of burnt-out houses. More favourable conditions on Sunday allowed firefighters to set up containment lines.[417]

Heavy rains have started to fill Australia's vast Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre and are bringing the desert to life. Pictures captured by pilot Trevor Wright show water filling dry salt plains that lie 700km (435 miles) north of Adelaide. The area around the lake has been inundated with rain over the last week, with falls of over 150mm reported. Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre fills only a few times in a century. When this happens it is Australia's largest lake.[418]

Communities across California are bracing for two weeks of heavy rains generated by the El Nino system. Northern California could receive up to 15in (38.1cm) of rain over the next 16 days, with parts of the Sierra Nevada mountains getting up to 24in of snow. The El Nino system, a warming trend in the Pacific Ocean, is expected to spur extraordinary weather across the US in the coming weeks and months. The phenomenon is prompting warnings of flash floods and mud flows. Light rain began falling across the region on Monday, but stronger storms are expected to hit the area on Tuesday, with at least two more systems expected on Wednesday and Thursday. [419]